Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho

[10.0] "The Battle of the Canadians. Peak Y2J vs. Rabid Wolverine. Very brutal and very enjoyable. The diving headbutt from the top of the ladder is iconic."

[8.0] "Some cool spots, Chris took some gnarly looking stuff here but nothing too special in terms of ladder matches. Still, I liked the Irish whip into the ladder, I liked the walls of Jericho on top of the ladder. Just nothing too special, still a fun watch"

[9.0] "This was the first time I watched this match. It really caught me by surprise some of the spots even in 2025. An unique offense by these two great wrestlers. A really must see ladder match"

[10.0] "What a peak match, the best and the highest they got as a singles rivalry, reminds me of the Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels ladder match (another classic) and this one was amazing for the uses they both gave to the ladders, that Headbutt of Benoit pumping off the ladder was great, and the result good for the rivalry they were having from previous matches. 10/10 [*****]"

[7.0] "Just a well executed ladder match, as good as Shawn/Razor ladder matches. I don't think it's one of best matches ever or anything like that, but it's very good. Well paced, creative spots, good execution."

[10.0] "One of the best ladder matches I've ever seen. If we're talking strictly 1-on-1, it definitely makes the top 3. I liked the creative use of the ladder and seeing moves with it that I hadn't seen before."

[10.0] "A classic ladder match. The most innovative aspect of the match is the use of the ladder in various ways to damage the opponent. Benoit acts methodically from the very beginning, targeting the shoulder that Jericho himself had previously injured, and at every opportunity, with every move he makes, he ensures that the damage is directed specifically at that shoulder. Jericho's selling is quite good; despite his damaged shoulder, he finds entirely new ways to tear Benoit apart, and especially the dive being countered with a chair shot is an unbelievably sick. They are so focused on hurting each other that the first ladder climb comes in the 12th minute of an 18-minute match, which is completely insane. Jericho's advantage lies in his ability to exploit Benoit's self-risking moves (suicide dive, diving swan) in the best possible way from an opportunistic standpoint. The Walls of Jericho on the ladder is the peak of his creativity. Amazingly brutal, innovative and dangerous spots, excellent psychology and creativeness. Jericho holds his shoulder even after the match. ****1/2"

[9.0] "Stunning ladder match, and one of my instant favorites. Absolutely brutal and innovative offense with the ladder, especially the Walls on top. A bit inconsistent selling from Jericho but Benoit is giving it his all. A little bit longer and it may be 5. Giving it 4.75."

[6.0] "Solid pace with plenty of physicality and creativity throughout. Both guys take a lot of hard, quite awkward bumps, with the chair shot standing out as the most memorable--though Jericho hitting the ladder on the corner and crashing to the outside also stands out. At times the work is a little sloppy and transparent, but that same scrappiness is also what gives the match its edge and makes it compelling. A solid, overall impressive effort from both guys."

[7.0] "Yeah this was a good match but nothing too memorable in my eyes. The spots were absolutely brutal though and alot of them made me go "OUCH! ". Benoit took the brunt of the assault and it looked like it was a very painful match to go through for both men The Octopus on the ladder was a great moment and looked like it hurt like hell. Great selling from both men. The commentary was gold as usual. Not a must watch or a "go out of your way to see this" but definitely an entertaining watch"

[8.0] "Jericho and Benoit arguably steal the show here, with an excellent ladder match. Notable moments include Jericho catching Benoit mid dive with a steel chair, as well as applying a Walls of Jericho on the top of a ladder."

[9.0] "This was an outstanding ladder match that really is one of the best ladder matches in WWE history. It was probably the first match of the year contender quality match for both guys in their WWE careers. I wouldn't say it was Match of the Year, but I'm just saying it was a contender. They did a great job of using the ladder as a weapon, using ring psychology well with Benoit working on the left shoulder of Jericho throughout the match and ultimately it was the babyface Jericho who came back from those attacks to the shoulder to come back and win the match. These guys always had physical style matches together and this one might have been their best match. It was also interesting how they only used one ladder in the match because sometimes wrestlers would use more than one, but they kept using the same ladder. It wasn't about the climb or crazy spots. It was about the story too, which is why it is one of the best WWE ladder matches ever."

[10.0] "By 2001 standards, some of the maneuvers were incredibly innovative and creative, but most importantly, they still make a huge impression today. Easily one of the best one-on-one ladder matches of all time."

[10.0] "Probably the greatest ladder match of all time in my opinion. Such a simple set up, one ladder and one chair, but with so much inventiveness in the spots, with the ladder being used more often as a weapon than as something to do athletics off, and what beautiful damage they do to each other with it. I think the walls of Jericho at the top of the ladder is my favourite spot in any ladder match ever. So good."

[9.0] "I believe this was the best match they ever had together...in any promotion. They've had some bangers in the past, but this was the peak of their rivalry as they would start teaming months later. The Walls of Jericho on the ladder was great."

[9.0] "A really good ladder match especially for the time. Lots of chaos in this match, and they only use one ladder the entire time. Some cool spots especially the submission on the ladder being something I don't know if I've seen before."

[9.0] "This was a very fun ladder match, these guys tried to destroy each other. That submission on the ladder was very brutal looking, the crowd was on their feet for that. Jericho didn't hold back with that chair shot to Benoit when he was attempting a suicide dive. The flying headbutt from top of the fucking ladder looked rough. With that these two did to each other and themselves, I'm surprised either were even climb up the ladder or even stand-up,"

[10.0] "I don't mind if anyone said that this is the greatest match of all time, there's no doubt that it's one of the best matches ever, perfect match in every aspect you could think of, the best ladder match ever in my opinion, two brilliant wrestlers gives their best = all timer. *****"

[10.0] "What a classic. These guys fit so much into 18-19 minutes, yet the pace was great and it never felt forced. The endurance of these guys was off the chain considering how quickly paced the match was. Throughout the match, both men get their fair share of ladders to the face. There were a ton of memorable spots. One of the many surprising ones was the headshot during Benoit's dive to the outside. This looked brutal. As did the see-saw bit when Benoit got blasted in the face with the ladder. But probably the most creative spot of the match was Jericho giving Benoit the Walls at the top of the ladder. This match was great because they were able to get creative with the in-ring storytelling without having to resort to using half a dozen ladders or twenty something chairs. Top 3 match for Jericho of all time and probably my favorite 1 v 1 ladder match in history."

[10.0] "One of the best ladder match in history. Benoit and Gericho made a great match in Royal Rumble 2001 . I like it {*****} ."

[9.0] "They needed one ladder and one chair to tell the story. And it was the best singles ladder match ever. Excellent use of the ladder throughout, notably Y2J dropkicking Benoit while Benoit held it, and crushing Benoits leg from the top rope (I have no idea how they did that safely). They made it seem like struggle without slowing it to a snails pace. Outstanding. *****"

[10.0] "Absolutely brutal match. Every spot with the ladder looked hurtful and meaningful, Jericho countering Benoit's topè into the chairshot was absolutely eye watering to watch and the in-ring psychology was fantastic as you would expect with these two. The walls Jericho locks in on Benoit on top of the ladder looked a lot like Tajiri's signature Tarantula move and looked very effective with Benoit weakened, but he just about had the strength to push the ladder over. It was just a perfectly paced match that had great wrestling and selling as well as the big car crash spots that you would expect to see in a ladder match. Jericho finally climbing the ladder after he sent Benoit crashing onto the outside was hugely satisfying, especially because of all of his close losses against Benoit in the previous years PPV matches."

[9.0] "fun ladder match a little overrated to me but it is good, the ladder offense surprised me for a 2001 match, the walls on top of the ladder is iconic and all and all a good match for the IC Title"

[10.0] "(5*) I think this is the greatest ladder match i have ever seen, period. This was stupid fun and even brutal at times, this is what a wrestling should honestly be, love the use of the ladders and so many unique spots and moves in this, classic."

[10.0] "An absolutely brutal, rough & tumble stunt match. Everything hit hard & fast, the damage accumulated and the risks escalated as the attrition wore on. Benoit and Jericho made this look easy, but the million and one botchy af ladder matches since tell you otherwise *****"

[9.0] "[4.75 Stars] This game was so cool! I loved how the ladder was really used as a weapon. Jericho and Benoit were 2 of the best wrestlers of their time and it's easy to see why they knew how to do everything. This is one of the best Ladder Matches in history (****, 75)"

[8.0] "Really really good stuff here with both wrestlers at their absolute peak. Benoits flying headbutt from the top of the ladder and essentially missing was a brutal spot"

[10.0] "Absolutely phenomenal ladder match between both men with masterclass action and spots with all the ladders and submissions, the story telling and psychology between both men was at their best. Definitely one of, if not, the best ladder match ever and it helped legitimise one on one ladder matches to being more of a common thing in the world of wrestling."

[7.0] "Okay. I'm not a huge fan of 1 on 1 ladder matches. This match as well as HBK vs Jericho in 2008 would have been better it was just a basic match. 1 on 1 ladder matches tend to have a lot of those slow slow slow crawling the ladder spots and so did this. Good match still you can't go wrong with these two but would have been better without the ladder stipulation."

[9.0] "My favourite Ladder Match yet. They fantastically combined the incredibly looking spots and bumps with the realism of the wrestling match. I loved how sometimes Benoit was making you think that he stalls for a little too long waiting to get hit by Jericho, but then in the last second he was dodging the attack. They were climbing the ladder a lot whenever they had a chance so it didn't feel like they're only there for the spots and a lot of times the best way to get the guy off the ladder was to just push the ladder, instead of some convoluted solutions. The bumps looked great and brutal, the fans were losing their minds, it felt like a real fight and pace was phenomenal. Loved it."

[9.0] "Fantastic match that had great back and forth brutal ladder spots for both competitors. The highlight of the match had to be the Walls of Jericho on top of the ladder which in hindsight probably should have been saved for the finish to the match but my personal favorite spot is an almost russian leg sweep from the top rope with the ladder or Chris Benoit missing the diving headbutt, basically belly flopping in the ring from the top of the ladder, just brutal. 4 star match at least and one of the better one on one ladder matches."

[9.0] "Very solid match. We don't hold back, the big spots are few in number but certain moments of this match remain memorable. Notably the Walls at the top of the ladder. (4*1/2)"

"[9.0] With the Royal Rumble on Saturday, I thought I'd watch what a lot of people consider the best Royal Rumble of all time. I found this absolute gem of a match on this card. Holy shit, that's one of the best ladder matches I've ever seen. Absolutely my favorite 1-on-1 Ladder Match."

[10.0] "A top 3 ladder match of all time in my opinion just fantastic storytelling and psychology. Less of a focus on big spots and more a focus on storytelling and psychology its great. Just these just had amazing chemistry dating back to wcw so its no surprise they stole the show here 4.75/5"

[9.0] "A classic ladder match between two of the best in WWE history. The story was interesting to follow on its own, but it was the innovative tactics that saw the ladder become a true weapon that makes this special. While most ladder matches up to this point were about the climb, this was about the ladder itself and really helped change the way these bouts are structured. That influence alone puts it into classic territory. Then you throw in the creativity of what they did on top of the ladder and you have yourself one of the best matches in WWE history. A standard-raising Ladder Match that helped set the tone for what we know as the contemporary Ladder Match in a 1 v 1 setting. The fact that this was, somehow, a technical wrestling match only takes it to a higher point. 4.5 stars, 9 out of 10. An absolute classic."

[9.0] "This was an awesome match, albeit not the best of either mans catalog. Hell, Jericho has a ladder match thats way better than this in him vs. Shawn from No Mercy 2008. Its a shame nobody talks about this match anymore considering whos in it. If that bugs you, then stay that way. If it doesnt, then definitely give this a watch. Its got some great spots throughout. However, that dive into the chair looked terrifying. The action here was great as expected. I liked how the ladder was a huge component of this match as it should be. Nowadays, ladder matches also involve tables, chairs, and a whole bunch of other shit (*cough*AEW*cough*). At least Jericho using the chair here made sense as it was used as both a defense and a last resort. Benoit did a great job with his quickness here. It really felt like he wanted to win as soon as humanly possible unlike most ladder matches nowadays where they take their sweet time setting up spots and putting on a dance routine. The selling from both guys here was top notch although Jericho couldve done a better job when it came to his arm. It took awhile for him to start. Overall, a good watch and a fun time. Definitely recommend. 9/10. ****1/2"

[10.0] "This is probably the greatest singles ladder match of all time, when you have two of the best wrestlers ever how could it not be? I'll also note something, at the end of the match when Benoit gets thrown off the ladder, he holds onto the ropes and falls out exactly like in Here Comes the Pain to SVR 07(? ) where you irish whip someone really hard and they tumble out just like that."

[9.0] "It was a good watch, but I think it is a little (very, very little) overrated and I give it 4.5 out of 5. But the ladder match was really beautiful and interesting ."

[8.0] "Yeah this was a good match but nothing too memorable in my eyes. The spots were absolutely brutal though and alot of them made me go "OUCH! ". Benoit took the brunt of the assault and it looked like it was a very painful match to go through for both men The Octopus on the ladder was a great moment and looked like it hurt like hell. Great selling from both men. The commentary was gold as usual. Not a must watch or a "go out of your way to see this" but definitely an entertaining watch. 4/5."

[9.0] "One of the best single ladder matches I've ever seen, two amazing wrestlers hitting great spots and using the stipulation to deliver a very underrated classic (****3/4)"

[9.0] "Probably the most BRUTAL ladder match ever, some of the spots here make me cringe, nonetheless it is an excellent worked match with high stakes, both around the match and in the match."

[10.0] "This is a instant classic match with some very creative spots this was a very fun match and different from other ladder matches very fun to watch. *****"

[9.0] "Gotta appreciate the creativity and guts from both men. One of the best ladder matches in WWE history."

[10.0] "Up there with the best ladder matches of all time, with both men incorporating their top level wrestling skills into the chaos and brutality of a ladder match, with it really looking like they were trying to hurt each other enough that they couldn't stop them climbing, rather than just spots for the sake of it. The best spot was Jericho putting Benoit in a painful looking hold at the top of the ladder."

[9.0] "One of the best ladder matches of all time, and it shouldn't be a surprise. Today we're used to incredible spots and OMG moments in ladder matches, but this isn't that kind of ladder matches. Jericho and Benoit used the ladder more like an object to hurt the opponent"

[7.0] "It's a pretty dangerous spectacle. Benoit takes some of his most egregious CTE specials in this match, the chairshot on the suicide dive really is one of the sickest spots ever. The match was quite enjoyable and fun but it is hurt by a formulaic stop/start spotty structure. It is a gnarly match though which elevates it past the rather uninspired typical ladder match structure."

[10.0] "One of the most brutal and creative ladder matches I've ever seen. Jericho and Benoit not only hit each other with great spots, but also worked in great limb work to their offense. The Walls on top of the ladder is an iconic spot for me."

[8.0] "Jericho chops away, then Benoit goes for the Cross face, but Jericho rolls into the Walls Of Jericho. Benoit posts him outside and hits a shoulder breaker. Jericho tries the springboard dropkick, but Benoit moves out of the way. They head for the ladder, but Benoit posts him again and grabs the ladder. Jericho gets tossed into the steps and Benoit sets up the ladder for the first try. Jericho stops him with an electric chair drop off the ladder. Jericho grabs the ladder and rams it into Benoit's head, and then again to the abs. Awesome shot as Jericho does the seesaw mortal combat uppercut with the ladder on Benoit. Jericho sets the ladder onto the top turnbuckle, but Benoit whips him into it. Jericho bails and Benoit chases with a tope, but Jericho absolutely kills Benoit on the dive through the ropes with a chair shot. I remember watching this live and thinking about how there is no way that Benoit can be taking all these bumps and not be getting hurt legit. 6 years later, we see the end result. Jericho suplexes him on the railing and tries to ride the ladder down onto him, but Benoit moves and rams the ladder into Jericho's face. Benoit rams Jericho into the ladder shoulder first in the corner. Jericho with a dropkick puts Benoit down, and Jericho crotches him in the ladder's rungs in the corner. Then he pulls the ladder backwards and they crash to the mat. Jericho grabs it first, but Benoit dropkicks it on him and hits a backdrop suplex. Jericho missile dropkicks the ladder into Benoit then climbs for the belt. Benoit belly to back suplexes him off to the outside in another dangerous spot. Benoit climbs, but Jericho pushes him backwards so hanging upside down and Jericho puts on the walls on top of the ladder then shoves him off. Benoit tips the ladder and Jericho takes a nasty hotshot on the top rope and they are KO'd. Jericho gets the ladder first and flattens Benoit, but Benoit pulls him off and puts him in the Cross face on the way down to further damage the bad shoulder. Jericho rams him into the corner with the ladder, and they both climb it. Jericho falls off, but Benoit misses the swan dive headbutt from the top of the ladder. Looking back, it's sad watching Benoit doing these head shots into the canvas. Jericho tries putting the ladder right on Benoit to hold him down, but Benoit powers it off and pushes it over and Jericho takes a nasty whiplash on the top rope. Benoit climbs but Jericho gets a chair and whacks Benoit then tips the ladder and Benoit takes the worst bump EVER IMHO when he lands on the top rope stomach first, bounces up and off then whacks and bounces his hip and lower back off the apron before going to the floor. Jericho gets the title. This might be my favorite one on one ladder match. One of the most brutal the WWFE ever had!"

[9.0] "This was an excellent ladder match between Jericho and Benoit. Benoit targeted Jericho's banged up left shoulder throughout the match and Jericho solid it well. The ladder spots they had was creative, and it didn't feel set up in an obvious way to accomplish them. Both men bumped all over the place for each other. Liontamer on top of the ladder and Benoit getting caught with a wicked chairshot to the head were the two standout spots for me in this. Match probably should've ended after the liontamer spot as the rest of the match felt like filler.****1/2"

[9.0] "This was a brutal ladder match that was excellent from start to finish. Had some amazing looking spots, a particular highlight being that nasty looking chairshot to Benoit when he went for a suicide dive. The match had some nice creativity in its spots too, which was cool. I really loved the psychology here and the selling from both guys was fantastic. ****3/4"