Eddie Guerrero vs JBL (WWE - 5/16/2004)

Going into this project, this match is one of my top two of all time. Eddie and JBL played their parts perfect; Eddie was the pissed off king defending his realm, and JBL was the big bully who finally met someone who would fight back. This was just an all out war between two men, and Eddie covered in blood and frog splashing JBL was the perfect ending.

Going in to this process I also have it in my top 2. However I'm resigned to the fact this most probably will drop over time. I'm certain this is a lock for my top 20 and possibly for my top 10. I can't argue that this match would have been as good without the copious amounts of blood, but unlike most bloodbaths, it serves to augment and elevate what they already had in place. Plus, Eddie busting out the shimmy despite the blood loss is up their with Austin's WM13 as the greatest mid-match WWE moment of all time.

This was always my pick for best match in WWE history, at least up until that Wrestlemania theater version of Lesnar/Reigns came out and woke me up to how incredible that match was. I've watched this so many times and I've always feared it might not hold up, but I'm always left satisfied by the end. The classic JBL heel promo, Eddie's acting performance, and the monster blade job are things that just never old.

The beginning from JBL's racist promo to Eddie's entrance and match preparation is really well done. The bass for Eddie's theme serves as this primal war drum while he stares deep into JBL's soul. He looks like he truly wants to kill JBL, while JBL comes across as he no idea what he's truly getting himself into until he's already getting his ass beat. Always thought it was a cool detail that Eddie sends JBL across the Spanish announce table, rather than the English one. There's some nice shit talking in the ring. I will admit I have a hard time getting as into as like to be, as worked punches in a blood feud just don't do for me unless it's Lawler-tier stuff. Really more my problem as I've probably just seen way too many Hansen and Kawada matches.

On that note, I actually found JBL's control segment more compelling even if might not have been as well "worked" as Eddie's. Watching a big dude throw around a smaller guy is always a winning formula. Always loved him catching Eddie's outside cross-body and throwing him. Even dug the side headlock that he used to control Eddie on the ground. A move like that might not sound like much, but I can say from experience that it's really no joke when you've got a much larger guy doing and you're already kind of winded. Some neat hope spots for Eddie that came at just the right moment, even if I'm not so into Eddie's inner-forearm punches. I also really into the bearhug. Some great commentary that explained JBL was targeting Eddie's body with it rather than his back to try to wear him down with it. Really dig Eddie doing the Three Amigos just a little slower than usual to sell the wear of the match.

The ref bump is actually a really cool spot than I gave it credit for before. You had these jaded smarks in the front row with dumb signs like "schmoz" and "dud," so as soon as it happened they immediately groaned and looked at the ramp expecting some clusterfuck bullshit finish. Instead, it serves as a segue to the set-up for Eddie's legendary blade job. I've really got to give them credit for how smart they were getting there. JBL is getting his ass beat until he gets thrown over an announce table and in the scramble lands a hard chair shot to even the odds. This is when the match really kicks into high gear. DQ finish be damned, even if its not quite the best WWE match it almost definitely has the best WWE finish run ever. JBL fittingly ramps up the cockiness with this huge opportunity just falling in his slap, and some excellent near falls. Especially like him pulling out the sleeper. Some excellent near falls from JBL Eddie is incredible balancing burning vengeance with groggy vulnerability, portraying a man hell bent on revenge even whilst his body is slowly shutting down from blood loss. So many amazing visuals as the blood endlessly drips out of his forehead. Great quote from Cole when he says something to the effect of "The ring looks a canvas... Excepts it's not covered in paint but blood!"

The DQ finish might be the most fitting ever pulled off. For this match, it was truly about maiming the other guy. Thus, when Eddie got the chance to murder JBL with that 8 pounds of gold he'd worked so hard to get and which JBL was ruthlessly trying to steal away from him, he damn sure took it. I had mentioned before that the section after Eddie gets busted open was filled amazing visuals, but perhaps the most amazing of all happened immediately after the match ended, as an exhausted and bloodied Eddie rises up from the mat to pounce on a JBL that he'd just downed him with the belt




I'm not sure why this image didn't pop out to me like this on prior viewings, but when watching it this time I immediately paused on this part and spent a full minute just staring at Eddie's face here. Blood still dripping onto his canvas, every part of his face is drenched except those beautiful eyes. He resembles a wounded dog ready to pounce on an attacker. It's a point where the brutality of the match has collapsed the divide between man and beast, and all that's left is for him to unleash his animal instincts on the rich fucker who wronged him and his family.

After, mounting JBL and raining down some wearied punches, we get to what was until viewing my favorite part of the match. Eddie forces his way to the top rope and, with a face fully covered in crimson, pounds his chest like a silver back before unleashing a hell of a frog splash on a JBL who dared to lay down in the ring that Eddie painted red. JBL tries to escape, but Eddie seemingly gets a second wind as he chases after JBL until he has to get pulled off by a crew of agents ironically consisting of his WCW contemporaries in Finlay, Arn Anderson, and Dean Malenko. ****1/2

A classic bloodletting that will absolutely make my list. I see this more in the back half of my list, but it is definitely one of the best matches in WWE history.

WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero vs John Bradshaw Layfield - Judgment Day 2004

Well that's gotta be an 11 on the Muta Scale, it is one bloodier. It is a murder scene. If you think this match is just about buckets of blood, you would be dead wrong. A great throwback match to the hate-filled brawls that were the norm in 1980s US Wrestling. For me, this match represents where the divisions in wrestling fandom started. Scott Keith posted a lukewarm at best review of this match and was rightfully spit-roasted. Scott Keith had spent years espousing the virtues of 90s workrate and believed in those idols. He saw someone like JBL and dismissed him out of hand. I believe he went in with a star rating before he saw the match. Another example was an insane low ball rating of Brock vs Taker 2002 Hell In A Cell, three stars. It would be years again before I found those wrestling fans that saw great wrestling comes in all shapes and colors here at Pro Wrestling Only. Yes, workrate fans continue to dominate the internet, but I am so glad to found a place where brawling, traditional championship wrestling and shoot style are still revered.

Eddie is red hot at Bradshaw after Bradshaw cuts a Donald Trump promo to huge heel heat. Can we go back to that America? Also according to the announcers, Bradshaw caused Eddie's mom to have a heart attack, but it is ok because Bradshaw is going to have her employed as his maid. What I love about this match is that is not a glorified weapons match that stands in for brawling. Today so many "brawls" is just an excuse to hit each other with weapons. Here Eddie just wants to keep punching JBL right in the face with a good 'ol fashion closed fist, throw him into some hard, metal objects and choke him with a cord. It is an asskicking that is personal. I love that JBL tries to leave it really puts over how major this asskicking is. Typically, you see a heel champion do that not a heel challenger. He rather foresake the championship than get beat up more now that's an asskicking. I thought the transitions were great. Eddie is concerned about the count and it breaks his focus and he ends up eating the steel steps. I thought Bradshaw was great in control of the match. He used his size advantage to control and dominate Eddie. Anyone who says JBL was slow or some other bullshit watch him run the ropes or feed those armdrag bumps. He was bumping huge for anyone but especially for his size. Eddie gets a plancha, but eats JBL's fallaway slam on the outside. The playing field is leveled. You feel that who over wins the next slugfest will be poised to win the match. Eddie is rocking JBL with chops, but JBL executes a desperation back body drop on Eddie who lands on the table. I like that move as a transition as JBL uses Eddie's own momentum to garner control of the match. It feels more like the babyface lost control of the match than the heel won control. You want an aggressive babyface and a reactionary heel. Bradshaw applies a bearhug to chagrin of workrate fans. Eddie begins his big comeback. He is just so damn charismatic. He runs over the ref by accident and here we go...Eddie throws JBL over the announce table and he approaches JBL to meter out more punishment...JBL CRACKS him with a steel chair. Blood is quite literally squirting out of Eddie's head. The blood was flowing for the next ten minutes. In my estimation, the most grizzly bladejob I have seen. He was wearing the literal crimson mask. The finish run is spectacular. One of the best of all time. JBL CRUSHES EDDIE WITH A CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL! THEN HE THROWS HIM DOWN WITH A POWERBOMB! Both moves looked killer. Eddie's shimmy shaking with all that blood was so electric. I love how Eddie gets all his receipts in and then some. Yes he loses by DQ, but he draws blood from the championship belt, he cracks JBL in the head with the steel chair and then the cherry on top is the chest beating, blood-soaked Frogsplash. Thats how you put a babyface over. Eddie looked like a world-beating asskicker. How the hell would you not want to root for him? JBL did a great job selling all this cowering and crawling while Eddie was relentless in seeking revenge. A classic hate-filled brawl with great babyface/heel dynamics that is taken to the next level by insane, copious amounts of blood that make it instantly memorable. ****3/4

Cross posting from the Cena/JBL thread


What a terrible opinion re: JBL! Definitely agree with you here. 

So there are people that argue basically that Larger heel slows down firey smaller babyface is bad? Was it Kurt Angle?