WWE: 5 Best Raw TV Matches Of 2013

3. Rob Van Dam vs Chris Jericho 7/15/13 Brooklyn, New York

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRz_bBnyk8c On July 15th 2013, WWE fans were treated to an instant classic that came out of thin air. Rob Van Dam, who returned to WWE the night before at Money in the Bank in Philadelphia, met Chris Jericho on what would be his final Raw match of the year. Both men were looking to impress John Cena enough to be picked as his SummerSlam opponent. Leading up to this match, Chris Jericho was on an amazing run throughout all of 2013. He began as the #2 entrant in the Royal Rumble, and finished with this incredible contest. Meanwhile, Rob Van Dam was previously toiling away in the doldrums of TNA Wrestling. He clearly looked apathetic, and began drawing the dreaded, Can he still go? question, which faces very wrestler except The Great Khali. Little did everyone know how much a change of scenery would mean to the ECW legend. This was Rob Van Dam€™s first appearance on Raw in over 6 years. The Brooklyn crowd, full of smart fans, instantly began a €œYOU STILL GOT IT!!€ chant, followed by an €œE-C-Dub!€ one that made it clear they were ready to explode at any moment. The action began fast as both men set to raise the bar with each exchange. Jericho and Van Dam were no strangers to each other, as they had locked up numerous times in the early 2000€™s. That familiarity led to in ring work that was crisp, exciting and well-paced. The first two OMG moments included a kick to Jericho€™s face that JBL described as, €œAn orthodontists dream€, followed by a magnificent asai moonsault to the outside of the ring that was reminiscent of The Ultimo Dragon in 1997. Jericho then drilled Van Dam with a DDT that stood him straight up, and landed a lionsault that was half way across the ring. These moves however, only set Van Dam up to take a bigger risk. Van Dam climbed to the top rope, and front flipped on a standing Jericho. This move would become a staple of Van Dam€™s move set, but at the time I thought he was going to kill himself attempting it. Not even a minute later, Jericho reversed a standing hurricanrana into the Walls Of Jericho. The masterpiece had begun to crest. After freeing himself of the Walls, blood dribbled from Van Dam€™s forehead as he hit a step through kick to the face, and scaled the top rope. The tension in the building was at the highest level, as Rob Van Dam waited, felt the energy, and then dropped the 5 Star Frog Splash on a floored Jericho for the 1-2-3. This match showed Van Dam could still be incredible on any given night, and proved why Chris Jericho is the best in the world at what he does. It was fitting that Jericho lost to Van Dam, as Van Dam claimed the veteran workhorse role Jericho held before his latest hiatus. On this night we had the pleasure of watching Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam construct art, without wondering how good it would have been 10 years prior. Both of these men were living in a moment where they could become ageless.