Rick Rude goes completely bat shit trying for a last-ditch pin lariat for a two count. Shoulderblock for a two count. Lariat again, two count again. Jim Ross is going nuts at ringside, calling the action at warp speed. Jesse Ventura is screaming for Rude to try for the Rude Awakening.
Small package gets two.
With five seconds left, a bodyslam and lateral press gets two, and you can watch Rude s hopes deflate as the last two seconds expire. The only real hindrance on this match was the top rope rule, which played into two of the falls. Otherwise, Steamboat and Rude provide a brilliant argument in favor of all those who still consider a great, lengthy wrestling match to be a form of art. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle have been the latest to attempt to further that form of art, and they, too, did an excellent job with what they were dealt. A few minor changes here and there, and we might be amazed at where Benoit and Angle could take the next installment of their feud.