Pro Wrestling Chronicle

We wander into the top fifteen and try to straighten out where some of these matches belong.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 9/8/97)

Rey worked from the bottom for most of this match, which really made it work. This got a thumbs up from Paul due to the fast paced, yet logical flow of the match. Eddie was an amazing heel in the subtle and not so subtle ways, and he could really move before his accident. Even when Rey screwed up the high spots they made it work so it really wasn’t a screw up.

Billy Kidman vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 9/14/98)

Paul points out the sad fact that we’ve got two super talented dudes here who have burned so many bridges over the years that they haven’t had steady work for most of this past decade. Sad, really. Paul also likes the opening, where Kidman totally gets outclassed by the attack of Juvy. These guys actually have rest holds, something all cruiserweights should be forced to have. Several times this match was so good that we commented to one another that “that was the perfect way to give/take that move”. Better than solid all over.

Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 1/12/98)

We mark for drop kicks off tests of strength and drop toe holds, but we go crazy and rewind to watch the most vicious chop ever by Benoit. The commentary misses this, of course, and that takes away from the match. One of the main issues with WCW during this time period was the lack of announcing focus on what was happening in the ring in favor of the “storytelling” method that current WWE has adopted. These two get up for each other’s stuff. I pop for the exchange of submission finisher attempts. The intensity is there. The match was what you would expect from these two in their primes, and had a clean finish with Malenko tapping to the crossface.

Lex Luger and DDP vs. The Outsiders (Nitro 8/18/97)

Paul can’t believe at first that this match is even up from consideration. I try to sell the storytelling and atmosphere. Mostly we just love the Outsider shenanigans. There’s a lot of posturing and read between the lines stuff in this one. The match starts out with typical Outsiders anti-heel bullshit, but progresses into a great story with solid work by all involved. Unfortunately the match ends in a schmozz, which leaves a sour taste in both of our mouths. A 4 star match with a real finish became a 3 star DQ.

Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 1/22/96)

Two aging bigger stars who were willing to bump for one another. We’ve both got soft spots for this, but the standard is Mania 8, and this will be judged (at times) by the memories of that classic. One thing I notice is they lacked fire at times where they use to excel at showing intensity. They do bump around convincingly for each other, however, and are working as hard as they can at this stage of their careers. The match itself is standard fare and seems to “run in place”. Solid match from two aging stars, but nothing memorable.

30. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 2/19/96)
29. Chris Benoit vs. Curt Hennig (Nitro 10/6/97)
28. Ric Flair vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 5/20/96)
27. Rey Mysterio Jr./Juventud Guerrera vs. La Parka/Psicosis (Nitro 12/15/97)
26. Raven vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 3/16/98)
25. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 1/22/96)
24. The Road Warriors vs. The Steiner Brothers (Nitro 3/11/96)
23. DDP vs. Goldberg (Nitro 4/19/99)
22. Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 11/17/97)
21. Lex Luger and DDP vs. The Outsiders (Nitro 8/18/97)
20. Goldberg vs. Raven (Nitro 4/20/98)
19. Chris Benoit vs. Booker T (Nitro 6/8/98)
18. Chris Benoit vs. Fit Finlay (Nitro 6/15/98)
17. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 9/8/97)
16. Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 1/12/98)
15. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 10/26/98)
14. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 3/15/99)
13. Steve Regal vs. Psicosis (Nitro 12/16/96)
12. Billy Kidman vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 9/14/98)
11. Bret Hart vs. Booker T (Nitro 2/22/99)
10. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 5/25/98)