4. Eddie Guerrero & Chris Jericho vs Dean Malenko & Chris Benoit - WCW Thunder - January 29th 1998
Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and Chris Jericho are among a host of amazing talents that you could see plying their trade in the mid-late 90s of WCW. Whilst Hulk Hogan and the 'NWO' dominated the top of the card you could always rely on some combination of these performers to put on a memorable outing every week. With the sheer quantity it is unavoidable that some of the matches get overlooked and could make this list. This match from the January 29th 1998 episode of WCW Thunder sees Eddie Guerrero team with Chris Jericho to take Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit. The four best friends collectively known as the New Japan 4 had risen through the ranks of professional wrestling in much the same way; through New Japan Pro Wrestling to ECW and then on to WCW. The group would spend their time in WCW lighting up the midcard, often trading both the Cruiserweight Championship and the United States Championship. Doing their best Cheech & Chong impression or Eh and Buey as Jericho affectionately refers to them in his first book, Eddie & Jericho would isolate Malenko for much of the match wearing him down with frequent tags. The end would occur when Eddie and Benoit scaled opposite turnbuckles looking to execute their signature moves, The Diving Head-butt & Frog Splash respectively. Benoit would hit his however Eddies attempt proved unsuccessful. With Jericho dazed on the mat Benoit would pick up the submission victory with the Crippler Crossface. A much longer version and likely better version of this match would later occur in Knoxville, Tennessee in the main event of the Brian Hildebrand Tribute show. Brian Hildebrand was a well-respected WCW referee and close friend of the group who would tragically die of cancer in September 1999. The memorial show which was held on November 28th 1998 was not televised so has unfortunately never seen the light of day.
