Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 99: Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 5/25/98)

Had Kidman come up in this decade he may well have been Matt (Sydal) Bourne. As it happened he was languishing in WCW until he got put into Raven’s Flock. From there I thought his career picked up at the level of his talents. Juvy is just Juvy. Straight up solid Lucha worker who translates almost as well as Rey Jr. into American wrestling. He’s also lost his mask since we last saw him, as I recall to Chris Jericho.

Juvy keeps staying one step ahead of Kidman early, like a good guy should. He rips off Kindman’s shirt and chops him, but more impressive to me is the fact the two pulled off a pretty seamless head scissors, a move a rarely pop for. Great suicide dive too, and well placed for their time limits.

Lodi (at ringside) helps Kidman get the advantage. I forgot Kidman actually used the X-Pac X-Factor move. Kidman has more presence than I remember him having. He was okay with a crowd. His timing is sick, and he hits a beautiful drop kick to cut off Juvy a few minutes in. He has a great clothesline cut off soon after. This match pretty much rules. Crowd actually gets up for the Juvy comeback at the right time, after giving him polite applause coming out. Juvy’s eventual come back isn’t as inspiring as I’d hoped, but that’s no fault of Kidman, and Juvy is selling still. Juvy wins in 9:30 with the Juvi Driver followed by the 450. They gave time between the moves and it meant so much more than ripping through a hundred spots in under ten minutes. 3 ½ and 7/10.