Benoit's new gimmick, the crossface*SD Spoilers*

**Lara Emily** · 09-02-2005, 12:53 AM

His mic work is about 100 times more entertaining now with the 25 seconds gimmick. He's showing major signs of charisma, his emphasis on the words coffee cup tonight was hillarious.

The side benefit of this 25 second angle is that it's selling the crossface as an out of nowhere instant match ending move. Look at the way they've booked both matches, OJ starts with a flurry of offense but then Benoit just like that drops him down and locks on the crossface and the match is over. If they keep doing this kinda of thing, eventually they can turn the crossface into Benoit's answer to Angle's Grapevine Ankle lock.

Sure the crossface has been broke up a ton of times in the past but if in the next few months (as they start getting away from 25 second matches and have Benoit wrestling longer title defences) they book it so that not a single wrestler ever gets out of the crossface, you'll have a super hot finisher, that not only increases Benoit's reputation (not that it really needs much of an increase) but it brings much needed crediblity to the US title. Plus as an added bonus it'll allow for some awesome will he or won't he escape the crossface spots, where wrestlers can get close only for Benoit to increase the pressure causing them to tap (see the Crossface on Jericho at JD 2000 as an example) or roll away from the ropes ala Wrestlemania 20, and other spots like that.

Not to mention if they sell it good enough and long enough, Benoit will be able to put over other wrestler without dropping the belt by having them last a long time in the crossface before tapping, pass out without tapping etc...

Finally when it comes time for Benoit to drop the title, having the eventual winner be the first one to break the old in months will get that wrestler huge heat and instant crediblity (as long as it's someone the fans buy as a challenger, they could have said challenger wrestle a series of matches with Benoit coming closer and closer to breaking the hold to build the challenger up)

09-02-2005, 12:53 AM	#1
Lara Emily Hey Posts: 15,662	Benoit's new gimmick, the crossfaceSD Spoilers His mic work is about 100 times more entertaining now with the 25 seconds gimmick. He's showing major signs of charisma, his emphasis on the words coffee cup tonight was hillarious. The side benefit of this 25 second angle is that it's selling the crossface as an out of nowhere instant match ending move. Look at the way they've booked both matches, OJ starts with a flurry of offense but then Benoit just like that drops him down and locks on the crossface and the match is over. If they keep doing this kinda of thing, eventually they can turn the crossface into Benoit's answer to Angle's Grapevine Ankle lock. Sure the crossface has been broke up a ton of times in the past but if in the next few months (as they start getting away from 25 second matches and have Benoit wrestling longer title defences) they book it so that not a single wrestler ever gets out of the crossface, you'll have a super hot finisher, that not only increases Benoit's reputation (not that it really needs much of an increase) but it brings much needed crediblity to the US title. Plus as an added bonus it'll allow for some awesome will he or won't he escape the crossface spots, where wrestlers can get close only for Benoit to increase the pressure causing them to tap (see the Crossface on Jericho at JD 2000 as an example) or roll away from the ropes ala Wrestlemania 20, and other spots like that. Not to mention if they sell it good enough and long enough, Benoit will be able to put over other wrestler without dropping the belt by having them last a long time in the crossface before tapping, pass out without tapping etc... Finally when it comes time for Benoit to drop the title, having the eventual winner be the first one to break the old in months will get that wrestler huge heat and instant crediblity (as long as it's someone the fans buy as a challenger, they could have said challenger wrestle a series of matches with Benoit coming closer and closer to breaking the hold to build the challenger up)