The Meltzer 4+-Star Match Review Thread
02-14-2016
, 12:29 PM
Fall Brawl '96: Falls Count Anywhere - Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho
Date: September 15, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31367847
Background: No real feud between the two men. Jericho had just debuted in WCW a few weeks earlier, and quickly got the PPV billing against Benoit, thanks apparently (from what I read at the time) to their IRL friendship.
The Match: Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Bobby Heenan on the call. Randy Anderson officiating. Despite Jericho being a face, they pan past a whole group of fans during his entrance who are booing him and giving him the thumbs down. The announcers note that we're in Horseman country.
The two men trade blows to open, Benoit getting the better of it as he kicks Jericho down and rams him hard into the corner. Backdrop, and the crowd continues to signal that they're going to be very pro-Benoit. Back suplex gets two. Alabama slam by Benoit, and into basically a Lion Tamer by Benoit before Jericho started using that as his finisher. He releases the hold and attempts to continue the assault, but Jericho escapes on a powerbomb attempt and then connects on a spinning kick to halt the momentum of the match. Benoit back after it with a couple of kicks, but Jericho catches one of them and leg-whips him. Cradle pin attempt by Jericho gets two.
Jericho reverses a corner whip, Benoit takes the corner chest-first, Jericho connects on a dropkick to the back that sends Benoit to the apron. Springboard dropkick knocks Benoit to the floor. We don't get full view of it, but Jericho follows out with what looks to me like a springboard back elbow from the ropes over the top to the outside. He very nearly hits the apron, and there's a sound impact I can't quite explain. Dusty mumbles, "I think he just…mighta broke his back there."
Both slow to regain their feet. Jericho rolls Benoit back in and connects with a missile dropkick from the top. Powerbomb gets two. Dragon suplex by Jericho is well-executed, but carries Benoit's feet into the ropes to negate a count. Hard chops back and forth. Jericho transitions into a spinning kick to win the exchange. He goes for a suplex, Benoit escapes behind and lands on the apron, then back suplexes Jericho over the top to the floor to a thunderous ovation. This crowd reaction leaves me wondering if this was really the place to give Jericho his first chance at getting over as a face.
The Crippler drops down to the floor, stomps away, then sends Jericho into the post. Rolls him back inside and stands over him taunting. Drives a knee into Jericho's gut, and then drops him stomach-first along the top rope. Back elbow gets two. More chops between the two men, with Benoit winning the exchange and flooring his weakened opponent. Abdominal stretch; Jericho hip-tosses his way out. I always sort of think that the abdominal stretch could have been a legit submission finisher for someone along the way, but instead it turned into this catch-all rest hold. It looks a lot better than some other crap like the camel clutch.
Benoit with a slam and a swandive headbutt. Slow to cover, and only gets two. Benoit dismissively flings Jericho out through the middle ropes and rams him back-first into the apron out on the floor. Jericho works his way back inside and surprises with a small package for two. Benoit drops his head too early on a backdrop attempt, Jericho backslide, two. Benoit drives a knee into Jericho's back and momentarily holds him in a bow-and-arrow before releasing. More hard knife-edge chops from Benoit. Jericho reverses a corner whip, but Benoit gets his boot up on the follow-up. Benoit waistlock, Jericho counters with a go-behind, ducks a spinning clothesline, Northern lights suplex gets two.
Slugfest back and forth, Jericho getting the better of the punches this time. Benoit kicks, goes for a tombstone, Jericho reverses into his own tombstone and for some reason doesn't cover. Attempted quebrada by Jericho, Benoit moves, Jericho lands on his feet, running clothesline gets two. The announcers keep trying to put over the valiant effort of Jericho in spite of the crowd reaction, with Dusty saying that he's going to be a major star. He sets Benoit up top and does a hurracanrana off the top. Attempts to jump back up to the top, but before he can do anything there, Benoit shoves him from behind and crotches him. Benoit follows him up, holds up the four fingers to the crowd, big-time back superplex, 1-2-3. Really good match.
Result: Chris Benoit via pinfall (14:36)
Meltzer Rating: ****
My Review and Rating: Liked it quite a bit. Didn't love it, mostly because the intended story was obvious but still didn't really connect. I think that the disconnect for me partially stems from the crowd being clearly pro-Benoit when the intended story was "this new guy Chris Jericho really never says die," and partially because the offense was a bit too tilted in Benoit's favor and made it look more like Jericho was clearly not on Benoit's level. He never got a believable near-fall of his own at any point. Still, a really well-worked match by both men, a live crowd, and a really strong closing spot. ***1/2
Date: September 15, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31367847
Background: No real feud between the two men. Jericho had just debuted in WCW a few weeks earlier, and quickly got the PPV billing against Benoit, thanks apparently (from what I read at the time) to their IRL friendship.
The Match: Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Bobby Heenan on the call. Randy Anderson officiating. Despite Jericho being a face, they pan past a whole group of fans during his entrance who are booing him and giving him the thumbs down. The announcers note that we're in Horseman country.
The two men trade blows to open, Benoit getting the better of it as he kicks Jericho down and rams him hard into the corner. Backdrop, and the crowd continues to signal that they're going to be very pro-Benoit. Back suplex gets two. Alabama slam by Benoit, and into basically a Lion Tamer by Benoit before Jericho started using that as his finisher. He releases the hold and attempts to continue the assault, but Jericho escapes on a powerbomb attempt and then connects on a spinning kick to halt the momentum of the match. Benoit back after it with a couple of kicks, but Jericho catches one of them and leg-whips him. Cradle pin attempt by Jericho gets two.
Jericho reverses a corner whip, Benoit takes the corner chest-first, Jericho connects on a dropkick to the back that sends Benoit to the apron. Springboard dropkick knocks Benoit to the floor. We don't get full view of it, but Jericho follows out with what looks to me like a springboard back elbow from the ropes over the top to the outside. He very nearly hits the apron, and there's a sound impact I can't quite explain. Dusty mumbles, "I think he just…mighta broke his back there."
Both slow to regain their feet. Jericho rolls Benoit back in and connects with a missile dropkick from the top. Powerbomb gets two. Dragon suplex by Jericho is well-executed, but carries Benoit's feet into the ropes to negate a count. Hard chops back and forth. Jericho transitions into a spinning kick to win the exchange. He goes for a suplex, Benoit escapes behind and lands on the apron, then back suplexes Jericho over the top to the floor to a thunderous ovation. This crowd reaction leaves me wondering if this was really the place to give Jericho his first chance at getting over as a face.
The Crippler drops down to the floor, stomps away, then sends Jericho into the post. Rolls him back inside and stands over him taunting. Drives a knee into Jericho's gut, and then drops him stomach-first along the top rope. Back elbow gets two. More chops between the two men, with Benoit winning the exchange and flooring his weakened opponent. Abdominal stretch; Jericho hip-tosses his way out. I always sort of think that the abdominal stretch could have been a legit submission finisher for someone along the way, but instead it turned into this catch-all rest hold. It looks a lot better than some other crap like the camel clutch.
Benoit with a slam and a swandive headbutt. Slow to cover, and only gets two. Benoit dismissively flings Jericho out through the middle ropes and rams him back-first into the apron out on the floor. Jericho works his way back inside and surprises with a small package for two. Benoit drops his head too early on a backdrop attempt, Jericho backslide, two. Benoit drives a knee into Jericho's back and momentarily holds him in a bow-and-arrow before releasing. More hard knife-edge chops from Benoit. Jericho reverses a corner whip, but Benoit gets his boot up on the follow-up. Benoit waistlock, Jericho counters with a go-behind, ducks a spinning clothesline, Northern lights suplex gets two.
Slugfest back and forth, Jericho getting the better of the punches this time. Benoit kicks, goes for a tombstone, Jericho reverses into his own tombstone and for some reason doesn't cover. Attempted quebrada by Jericho, Benoit moves, Jericho lands on his feet, running clothesline gets two. The announcers keep trying to put over the valiant effort of Jericho in spite of the crowd reaction, with Dusty saying that he's going to be a major star. He sets Benoit up top and does a hurracanrana off the top. Attempts to jump back up to the top, but before he can do anything there, Benoit shoves him from behind and crotches him. Benoit follows him up, holds up the four fingers to the crowd, big-time back superplex, 1-2-3. Really good match.
Result: Chris Benoit via pinfall (14:36)
Meltzer Rating: ****
My Review and Rating: Liked it quite a bit. Didn't love it, mostly because the intended story was obvious but still didn't really connect. I think that the disconnect for me partially stems from the crowd being clearly pro-Benoit when the intended story was "this new guy Chris Jericho really never says die," and partially because the offense was a bit too tilted in Benoit's favor and made it look more like Jericho was clearly not on Benoit's level. He never got a believable near-fall of his own at any point. Still, a really well-worked match by both men, a live crowd, and a really strong closing spot. ***1/2
Last edited by LKJ; 02-14-2016 at 12:36 PM.
02-16-2016
, 09:33 PM
Fall Brawl '96: Cruiserweight Title - Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs. Super Calo
Date: September 15, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31367847
Background: None to really speak of. Calo had just debuted. They were giving title shots out really liberally early in the WCW cruiserweight division.
The Match: Mike Tenay says that, unlike other AAA stars that have gotten the call from WCW and were already established international stars, this is really Calo's first break. He takes an armdrag from Rey to kick things off, takes a breather, and resets. Side headlock takeover by Calo, transitions into an armbar, Rey flips out of it, Calo reverses a corner whip and hits a running powerslam. Super loud "BORING" from some dude in the crowd. The match is like 90 seconds old.
Second rope elbow by the challenger. Two-count. Calo stands over Rey in a wristlock, Rey flips his way to an escape, throws an armdrag, moments later hits a springboard hurracanrana. Calo takes a quick powder, then re-enters and hits a standing dropkick. Follows with a powerbomb where he picks up some momentum by first bouncing Rey off the top rope. Shoulderblock off the top by the challenger, then a clothesline out over the top. Great-looking missile dropkick off the top all the way to the floor. I'm not sure I've ever seen another wrestler do that.
Bodyslam on the floor by Calo. Back inside, and holy ****, a slingshot splash all the way down to the floor.
There's an incredibly obnoxious fan at ringside being picked up on the broadcast. Wouldn't be surprised if he was the "boring" guy too. Part of why he's so audible is that this crowd just doesn't care about this match at all. They were hot for every match so far tonight, but they seemed to be burnt out at this point. The one notable thing I remembered from this match was that my friends felt likewise as we all watched it live. They were cool with the show up until this point, and then it turned to "Okay, we've seen people flip around long enough. Let's get to War Games." I was liking this match well enough, but I distinctly remember being alone in that at this point. Action back inside, with Calo hitting a tilt-a-whirl slam for two. Action moves to the adjacent ring.
Reverse hurracanrana by Calo off the top rope. Two. Calo tries to pull Rey's arm off, as he hangs it along the top rope as he jumps to the floor. Short armscissor by the challenger, as he follows that last move logically. Super Calo half-misses on a jumping clothesline, really his only misstep so far. Into an octopus hold. Then a surfboard. Rey escapes the hold and gets to the floor, having been completely dominated so far.
Mysterio back in, connects on a dropkick. Goes for the cross-body to carry both outside, but it gets botched (more Rey's fault than Calo's), and Calo only gets to the floor clumsily. Somersault sentan to the floor by Rey. Returns Calo to the ring, goes for a springboard move, gets destroyed by a well-timed dropkick by Calo. Another two-count.
Calo goes back to the arm work, ramming Rey's bad shoulder into the corner and then hanging it across the top rope again. To the outside, Calo knocks Rey back-first into the steel guardrail. The two end up on the apron, trading blows, and Rey connects on an elaborate hurracanrana that sends Calo to the floor. Baseball slide into Calo from the ring, then a springboard somersault plancha from the ring to the floor by Rey.
Back into the ring, Rey with a springboard sunset flip for two. Asai corkscrew moonsault for another two. Mysterio keeps going for hurracanrana moves, but Calo ends up executing an electric chair drop. Goes for a pop-up powerbomb, but Mysterio counters into a hurracanrana pinning combo. Two. Spinning heel kick by Rey. Rey closes things out when he goes for a contrived acrobatics spot where he springs from one rope to the next and into the hurracanrana pinning combo, as if that extra little hop actually made the move better. In any case, it gets the three-count.
Result: Rey Mysterio Jr. via pinfall (15:47)
Meltzer Rating: ****
My Review and Rating: I loved basically the whole first 80% of the match or so, when Calo dominated. I didn't remember this match that well in its specifics, but that's far more than I ever remember enjoying watching him work. He was crisp, he was smooth, he was psychologically sound. Rey's stuff I enjoyed less, as it seemed like he almost exclusively relied on hurracanrana variations, and he seemed to be out there more to show "hey look at this spot I can do" rather than actually telling a story. The crowd was deader for this than it had been the rest of the show, which has to take some points off. Still, really enjoyed overall, and I think that it came awfully close to qualifying for four stars in my book as well. Again, tip of the cap to Super Calo for an all-star performance in what Tenay said was his first big opportunity. ***3/4
Date: September 15, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31367847
Background: None to really speak of. Calo had just debuted. They were giving title shots out really liberally early in the WCW cruiserweight division.
The Match: Mike Tenay says that, unlike other AAA stars that have gotten the call from WCW and were already established international stars, this is really Calo's first break. He takes an armdrag from Rey to kick things off, takes a breather, and resets. Side headlock takeover by Calo, transitions into an armbar, Rey flips out of it, Calo reverses a corner whip and hits a running powerslam. Super loud "BORING" from some dude in the crowd. The match is like 90 seconds old.
Second rope elbow by the challenger. Two-count. Calo stands over Rey in a wristlock, Rey flips his way to an escape, throws an armdrag, moments later hits a springboard hurracanrana. Calo takes a quick powder, then re-enters and hits a standing dropkick. Follows with a powerbomb where he picks up some momentum by first bouncing Rey off the top rope. Shoulderblock off the top by the challenger, then a clothesline out over the top. Great-looking missile dropkick off the top all the way to the floor. I'm not sure I've ever seen another wrestler do that.
Bodyslam on the floor by Calo. Back inside, and holy ****, a slingshot splash all the way down to the floor.
There's an incredibly obnoxious fan at ringside being picked up on the broadcast. Wouldn't be surprised if he was the "boring" guy too. Part of why he's so audible is that this crowd just doesn't care about this match at all. They were hot for every match so far tonight, but they seemed to be burnt out at this point. The one notable thing I remembered from this match was that my friends felt likewise as we all watched it live. They were cool with the show up until this point, and then it turned to "Okay, we've seen people flip around long enough. Let's get to War Games." I was liking this match well enough, but I distinctly remember being alone in that at this point. Action back inside, with Calo hitting a tilt-a-whirl slam for two. Action moves to the adjacent ring.
Reverse hurracanrana by Calo off the top rope. Two. Calo tries to pull Rey's arm off, as he hangs it along the top rope as he jumps to the floor. Short armscissor by the challenger, as he follows that last move logically. Super Calo half-misses on a jumping clothesline, really his only misstep so far. Into an octopus hold. Then a surfboard. Rey escapes the hold and gets to the floor, having been completely dominated so far.
Mysterio back in, connects on a dropkick. Goes for the cross-body to carry both outside, but it gets botched (more Rey's fault than Calo's), and Calo only gets to the floor clumsily. Somersault sentan to the floor by Rey. Returns Calo to the ring, goes for a springboard move, gets destroyed by a well-timed dropkick by Calo. Another two-count.
Calo goes back to the arm work, ramming Rey's bad shoulder into the corner and then hanging it across the top rope again. To the outside, Calo knocks Rey back-first into the steel guardrail. The two end up on the apron, trading blows, and Rey connects on an elaborate hurracanrana that sends Calo to the floor. Baseball slide into Calo from the ring, then a springboard somersault plancha from the ring to the floor by Rey.
Back into the ring, Rey with a springboard sunset flip for two. Asai corkscrew moonsault for another two. Mysterio keeps going for hurracanrana moves, but Calo ends up executing an electric chair drop. Goes for a pop-up powerbomb, but Mysterio counters into a hurracanrana pinning combo. Two. Spinning heel kick by Rey. Rey closes things out when he goes for a contrived acrobatics spot where he springs from one rope to the next and into the hurracanrana pinning combo, as if that extra little hop actually made the move better. In any case, it gets the three-count.
Result: Rey Mysterio Jr. via pinfall (15:47)
Meltzer Rating: ****
My Review and Rating: I loved basically the whole first 80% of the match or so, when Calo dominated. I didn't remember this match that well in its specifics, but that's far more than I ever remember enjoying watching him work. He was crisp, he was smooth, he was psychologically sound. Rey's stuff I enjoyed less, as it seemed like he almost exclusively relied on hurracanrana variations, and he seemed to be out there more to show "hey look at this spot I can do" rather than actually telling a story. The crowd was deader for this than it had been the rest of the show, which has to take some points off. Still, really enjoyed overall, and I think that it came awfully close to qualifying for four stars in my book as well. Again, tip of the cap to Super Calo for an all-star performance in what Tenay said was his first big opportunity. ***3/4
02-20-2016
, 02:03 AM
In Your House 10: WWF Title - Shawn Michaels (c) (w/ Jose Lothario) vs. Mankind (w/ Paul Bearer)
Date: September 22, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31317649
Background: Mankind entered the company right after WrestleMania, and had been on a monster push since, defeating Undertaker twice and recently securing the services of Paul Bearer. He didn't have much of a specific build for a match with Shawn, but was just getting a world title shot as part of his push up toward the main event.
The Match: Nice nervous promo from Shawn before the match, who sells that he's rattled to deal with Mankind. Some druids wheel a casket to ringside ahead of Paul Bearer. Bearer opens the casket, and Mankind sits up inside of it. Jim Ross: "There WILL be injuries in this match tonight." I love that line. Ross, Vince McMahon, and Mr. Perfect are on the call for this match.
Back elbow by Mankind. Stomps, punches, and a backdrop followed by the over-the-top clothesline that carries both out. He kicks Shawn into the barricade and immediately goes to work at exposing the concrete floor, but as he picks a floor mat up, Michaels attacks him, walks over him, then heads up top and attacks with a cross-body that connects with Mankind on the floor. He walks the apron, onto the metal stairs, jumps and catches Mankind by the head on the way down, flinging him down so that the back of his head smacks on the concrete.
Shawn sends Mankind back inside, goes up top, drops an axhandle. Mankind reverses a whip, misses a clothesline, Michaels hits a couple of punches and connects on his own clothesline. Scoop slam. Top rope elbow. Starts tuning up the band early, but Mankind scurries outside the ring when he spots a superkick coming. He cradles the urn outside the ring and rocks back and forth. He returns to the action, but again Michaels takes the fight to him with a series of rights.
Mankind blocks an attempted snapmare, locks in a bodyscissor and takes HBK down, tries to reach around to lock in a Mandible Claw, but Michaels avoids it. Shawn elbows his way free, straddles and punches down a number of times. Mankind regains his feet and levels Shawn with a forearm, then dumps him outside the ring. Mankind starts to take the Spanish announce table, but Shawn charges and goes jumping over it to attack. He suplexes Mankind, whacking his leg against the steel steps on the way down as we can hear loud impact with the steel.
Mankind clutches his knee, but gets back up on the apron. Michaels shows a killer instinct and throws a hard chop block at the now-bad leg as soon as Mankind is up on the apron. Mankind rolls onto the casket, and Shawn slams the bad knee hard on the wooden casket. Repeated kicks at the left leg. Referee Earl Hebner tries to back him off a bit, and Shawn shoves him aside. Mankind fights back with punches and goes for a kick, but Michaels catches the leg and executes a nice leg whip. Figure-four by Shawn. Not sure I've ever otherwise seen him use that hold.
Mankind fights his way out, throwing a punch and getting loose. Michaels hits a beauty of a targeted dropkick at Mankind's bad leg, then jumps on it again.
Half crab on the same leg, as the single-minded focus continues. Mankind manages to get a rope break. Crucifix into a pinning combo for two by HBK. Shawn goes for probably a hurracanrana, but Mankind counters by catching him and hitting a stun gun. Mankind, unable to feel his leg, asks Uncle Paul if he has a writing utensil handy.
Striking his own knee repeatedly with a pen just to try to restore feeling. So elite. Mankind chokes at Shawn and then slams him head-first on the casket at ringside. He hammers the champion down to a seated position in the corner, then charges straight at him and runs knee-first into his head. Slams him face-first into the canvas a couple of times. Michaels with a desperate back suplex to stop the onslaught. Both men are hobbled pretty badly at this point. Mankind limps back toward Michaels to get his shots in. HBK trips him, then lays in some rights. He attempts a corner whip, but gets reversed and winds up flipping in upside down in the tree of woe. Mankind capitalizes almost instantly by jumping in and hitting him, then doing it again.
Legdrop to the back of Michaels's head. Michaels gets back up, but Mankind hits him in the face with a high boot and knocks him to the outside. He follows him out and tries to charge him on the floor, but ends up hitting knee-first into the steel steps. He gets back up and charges again, and takes a drop toe-hold face-first into the steps.
HBK returns to the ring, tries to suplex Mankind back in, the two block each other and duel to try to successfully execute a suplex. Mankind finally gets him up, but Michaels struggles and lands on the apron. Mankind tries to charge in after him, and ends up running face-first into the steel post. Once the action gets back inside, Michaels hits a jumping back elbow, then a powerslam. Two. Michaels sidesteps Mankind, Mankind starts to spill through the ropes, but ends up being caught up by the neck in the tangled ropes. As Michaels goes to take advantage, Mankind has the wherewithal to reach up and lock in the Mandible Claw.
Earl Hebner gets Mankind loose, and he drops to the floor. HBK follows him outside, we get another Mandible Claw, but Michaels gets loose and tosses Mankind off into Hugo Savinovich, one of the Spanish announcers. Shawn picks up a steel chair, and Mankind accidentally punches into it. Shawn whacks him a couple of times with the chair, once on the traditional Mandible Claw fingers, while Hebner is distracted with Paul Bearer.
Back into the ring, Shawn bites at the Mandible Claw hand, then slams it against the mat repeatedly and stomps on it a bunch of times. I love the psychology in this match. The champ continues on the assault, getting a running start, but gets backdropped high over the top rope to the floor. Mankind with the patented Mick Foley running elbow off the apron. Swinging neckbreaker on the floor. Again returning inside, Mankind hits a legdrop. Follows with a double-armed DDT. Sit-down piledriver gets two.
Foley keeps it on the mat here, actually cradling Michaels and hooking a leg into a fisherman position for a pin attempt that also just gets two. He pulls some hair out in frustration. Grabs multiple chairs at ringside and tosses them into the ring. Hebner just gets rid of them, but in the meantime Mankind opens up his casket and knocks Michaels into it. Michaels fights his way back out, then hits especially hard with his flying forearm. Kip-up.
Scoop slam by the champion. Flying cross-body off the top gets two. Returns to the top rope and ends up getting crotched by Mankind. The challenger follows him up the ropes from the apron, grabs him by the waist, and as he attempts a back suplex Michaels falls on top, and both go crashing through the Spanish announce table at ringside in another great spot.
As Jim Ross pleads for the referee to stop this thing, the wrestlers slowly work their way back up to return to the ring. Mankind heads up top with a chair, Michaels superkicks the chair into Mankind's face, drags him into the middle and moves slowly enough that you know he's waiting on someone to hit their cue, and on the two-count he has to stand up, as Vader runs in. That causes Earl Hebner to finally call this thing off.
Paul Bearer runs in and hits Michaels in the back of the head with the urn. Sid runs out and attacks Vader; the two of them fight down the aisle. Both competitors in the match are laid out in the ring. As they both stagger to their feet again, Mankind locks on the Mandible Claw and puts Michaels out. He asks Bearer to open the casket to put Michaels in, but when Bearer does, Undertaker emerges from it, attacks Mankind, and chases him down the aisle.
Result: Shawn Michaels via DQ (26:25)
Meltzer Rating: ****3/4
My Review and Rating: Pure craziness. Just absolutely tremendous, with both guys busting their ass and taking huge bumps to put on an amazing show. Excellent psychology, excellent action, great announcing by Jim Ross. I'm always sort of especially impressed that they went that damn hard in a match on a minor PPV that wasn't actually part of any sort of feud or anything. If someone were to give this match five stars then I would really have no argument with them, but I'm of Meltzer's mind on this one. ****3/4
Date: September 22, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31317649
Background: Mankind entered the company right after WrestleMania, and had been on a monster push since, defeating Undertaker twice and recently securing the services of Paul Bearer. He didn't have much of a specific build for a match with Shawn, but was just getting a world title shot as part of his push up toward the main event.
The Match: Nice nervous promo from Shawn before the match, who sells that he's rattled to deal with Mankind. Some druids wheel a casket to ringside ahead of Paul Bearer. Bearer opens the casket, and Mankind sits up inside of it. Jim Ross: "There WILL be injuries in this match tonight." I love that line. Ross, Vince McMahon, and Mr. Perfect are on the call for this match.
Back elbow by Mankind. Stomps, punches, and a backdrop followed by the over-the-top clothesline that carries both out. He kicks Shawn into the barricade and immediately goes to work at exposing the concrete floor, but as he picks a floor mat up, Michaels attacks him, walks over him, then heads up top and attacks with a cross-body that connects with Mankind on the floor. He walks the apron, onto the metal stairs, jumps and catches Mankind by the head on the way down, flinging him down so that the back of his head smacks on the concrete.
Shawn sends Mankind back inside, goes up top, drops an axhandle. Mankind reverses a whip, misses a clothesline, Michaels hits a couple of punches and connects on his own clothesline. Scoop slam. Top rope elbow. Starts tuning up the band early, but Mankind scurries outside the ring when he spots a superkick coming. He cradles the urn outside the ring and rocks back and forth. He returns to the action, but again Michaels takes the fight to him with a series of rights.
Mankind blocks an attempted snapmare, locks in a bodyscissor and takes HBK down, tries to reach around to lock in a Mandible Claw, but Michaels avoids it. Shawn elbows his way free, straddles and punches down a number of times. Mankind regains his feet and levels Shawn with a forearm, then dumps him outside the ring. Mankind starts to take the Spanish announce table, but Shawn charges and goes jumping over it to attack. He suplexes Mankind, whacking his leg against the steel steps on the way down as we can hear loud impact with the steel.
Mankind clutches his knee, but gets back up on the apron. Michaels shows a killer instinct and throws a hard chop block at the now-bad leg as soon as Mankind is up on the apron. Mankind rolls onto the casket, and Shawn slams the bad knee hard on the wooden casket. Repeated kicks at the left leg. Referee Earl Hebner tries to back him off a bit, and Shawn shoves him aside. Mankind fights back with punches and goes for a kick, but Michaels catches the leg and executes a nice leg whip. Figure-four by Shawn. Not sure I've ever otherwise seen him use that hold.
Mankind fights his way out, throwing a punch and getting loose. Michaels hits a beauty of a targeted dropkick at Mankind's bad leg, then jumps on it again.
Half crab on the same leg, as the single-minded focus continues. Mankind manages to get a rope break. Crucifix into a pinning combo for two by HBK. Shawn goes for probably a hurracanrana, but Mankind counters by catching him and hitting a stun gun. Mankind, unable to feel his leg, asks Uncle Paul if he has a writing utensil handy.
Striking his own knee repeatedly with a pen just to try to restore feeling. So elite. Mankind chokes at Shawn and then slams him head-first on the casket at ringside. He hammers the champion down to a seated position in the corner, then charges straight at him and runs knee-first into his head. Slams him face-first into the canvas a couple of times. Michaels with a desperate back suplex to stop the onslaught. Both men are hobbled pretty badly at this point. Mankind limps back toward Michaels to get his shots in. HBK trips him, then lays in some rights. He attempts a corner whip, but gets reversed and winds up flipping in upside down in the tree of woe. Mankind capitalizes almost instantly by jumping in and hitting him, then doing it again.
Legdrop to the back of Michaels's head. Michaels gets back up, but Mankind hits him in the face with a high boot and knocks him to the outside. He follows him out and tries to charge him on the floor, but ends up hitting knee-first into the steel steps. He gets back up and charges again, and takes a drop toe-hold face-first into the steps.
HBK returns to the ring, tries to suplex Mankind back in, the two block each other and duel to try to successfully execute a suplex. Mankind finally gets him up, but Michaels struggles and lands on the apron. Mankind tries to charge in after him, and ends up running face-first into the steel post. Once the action gets back inside, Michaels hits a jumping back elbow, then a powerslam. Two. Michaels sidesteps Mankind, Mankind starts to spill through the ropes, but ends up being caught up by the neck in the tangled ropes. As Michaels goes to take advantage, Mankind has the wherewithal to reach up and lock in the Mandible Claw.
Earl Hebner gets Mankind loose, and he drops to the floor. HBK follows him outside, we get another Mandible Claw, but Michaels gets loose and tosses Mankind off into Hugo Savinovich, one of the Spanish announcers. Shawn picks up a steel chair, and Mankind accidentally punches into it. Shawn whacks him a couple of times with the chair, once on the traditional Mandible Claw fingers, while Hebner is distracted with Paul Bearer.
Back into the ring, Shawn bites at the Mandible Claw hand, then slams it against the mat repeatedly and stomps on it a bunch of times. I love the psychology in this match. The champ continues on the assault, getting a running start, but gets backdropped high over the top rope to the floor. Mankind with the patented Mick Foley running elbow off the apron. Swinging neckbreaker on the floor. Again returning inside, Mankind hits a legdrop. Follows with a double-armed DDT. Sit-down piledriver gets two.
Foley keeps it on the mat here, actually cradling Michaels and hooking a leg into a fisherman position for a pin attempt that also just gets two. He pulls some hair out in frustration. Grabs multiple chairs at ringside and tosses them into the ring. Hebner just gets rid of them, but in the meantime Mankind opens up his casket and knocks Michaels into it. Michaels fights his way back out, then hits especially hard with his flying forearm. Kip-up.
Scoop slam by the champion. Flying cross-body off the top gets two. Returns to the top rope and ends up getting crotched by Mankind. The challenger follows him up the ropes from the apron, grabs him by the waist, and as he attempts a back suplex Michaels falls on top, and both go crashing through the Spanish announce table at ringside in another great spot.
As Jim Ross pleads for the referee to stop this thing, the wrestlers slowly work their way back up to return to the ring. Mankind heads up top with a chair, Michaels superkicks the chair into Mankind's face, drags him into the middle and moves slowly enough that you know he's waiting on someone to hit their cue, and on the two-count he has to stand up, as Vader runs in. That causes Earl Hebner to finally call this thing off.
Paul Bearer runs in and hits Michaels in the back of the head with the urn. Sid runs out and attacks Vader; the two of them fight down the aisle. Both competitors in the match are laid out in the ring. As they both stagger to their feet again, Mankind locks on the Mandible Claw and puts Michaels out. He asks Bearer to open the casket to put Michaels in, but when Bearer does, Undertaker emerges from it, attacks Mankind, and chases him down the aisle.
Result: Shawn Michaels via DQ (26:25)
Meltzer Rating: ****3/4
My Review and Rating: Pure craziness. Just absolutely tremendous, with both guys busting their ass and taking huge bumps to put on an amazing show. Excellent psychology, excellent action, great announcing by Jim Ross. I'm always sort of especially impressed that they went that damn hard in a match on a minor PPV that wasn't actually part of any sort of feud or anything. If someone were to give this match five stars then I would really have no argument with them, but I'm of Meltzer's mind on this one. ****3/4
02-20-2016
, 09:59 PM
03-09-2016
, 11:29 PM
Halloween Havoc '96: Cruiserweight Title - Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs. Dean Malenko
Date: October 27, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31348137
Background: Mysterio took the belt off Malenko on the night after Bash at the Beach, and Malenko had been trying to get it back ever since. This was his first PPV title shot since that point.
The Match: Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay on the call. Malenko jumps Mysterio before the bell, stomps away, then executes a hard belly-to-back suplex, pinning him for a two-count. He quickly goes for a Texas Cloverleaf, but Rey powers Malenko off. The challenger remains in control, locking on an arm-wringer. Rey trips Dean, attempts to follow with a quebrada, Malenko catches him, tries to go for possibly snake eyes, Rey escapes behind and shoves him into the turnbuckle, Rey goes for a hurracanrana, Malenko throws him off, drop toe-hold by Rey. Flying headscissor sends the challenger sprawling to the floor. Nice action to get things going.
Malenko back up on the apron, eats a springboard dropkick and falls back to the floor, and Rey quickly follows with a somersault sentan, then reclaims a mask that Dean stole from him at some point on WCW Saturday Night. Rey changes from his replacement mask to the one he just reclaimed while Malenko is still laid out on the floor. Nobody really cared about the mask thing. Dean re-enters, Rey with a corner mount and a 10-punch, Dean pushes him off, headscissor into a victory roll by Rey for a two-count. The Cruiserweight Champ throws a couple of hard chops, then goes for another headscissor move, but it gets countered into a side salto.
Malenko holds Rey up as if to execute a delayed suplex, then drops him along the ropes in front of him. Rey connected legs-first, and now sells a knee injury. The Iceman goes straight to work on that knee, locking on a half crab and then reaching back and jerking the same-side shoulder back as well. Malenko releases and sets Rey on the top turnbuckle. Back superplex. A bit slow to cover, and only gets two. If he had covered quickly it also would have gotten just two. Headscissor submission hold by Dean. Lets go and executes a nice-looking delayed brainbuster. Two-count.
Rey goes for a sunset flip, Dean punches down, Rey dodges, small package by Mysterio for a solid near-fall. Malenko is up almost immediately and throws a targeted dropkick at Mysterio's back on the mat. Backbreaker by Dean, who holds on and applies pressure to continue working the back. Transition into a camel clutch. I was internally questioning during the headscissor why he had laid off the leg, but I appreciate him finding a new focal point in the back. Rey tries to battle back, but Malenko connects on a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for another two.
Action goes outside, and Dean rams Rey's back into the ring apron before flinging him back inside. Snapmare into a knee-drop. He whips Rey into the ropes, then slaps on a sleeper hold, applying a bodyscissor and pulling the both of them to the mat. Rey's arm up once, twice…nope. Tony: "If Rey can escape this, then he truly IS a master of our sport!" WTF, escaping a simple sleeper qualifies you as a true master? Anyway, Rey achieves true mastery, at least for a moment, by regaining his feet, but Malenko quickly slams him back down, then picks him up and slaps that sleeper back on. Again the arm drops twice, but Rey finds the reserves to fight his way out, thereby becoming a double master.
Malenko drives the knee into the champion's gut, then executes a nice Northern lights suplex. Two. Malenko has just 100% dominated here, and while his psychology and execution were both pristine as usual, I think the one-sidedness is hurting the match a decent bit. Snapmare into an octopus by Dean. Both men back to a vertical base, Rey reverses a corner whip, Malenko floats over the top rope, both men climb to the top rope, they punch each other simultaneously and both fall to the floor. Nice.
Rey whips Dean into the guardrail, botches the follow-up and has to give it up, and Dean takes the advantage and returns him inside. He goes for another tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Rey falls on top for a two-count. Rey gets knocked to the apron, but re-enters with a springboard somersault sentan into the ring. Two. The two trade waistlocks and go-behinds, great little chain wrestling sequence finishes in Rey tripping Dean and bridging back for a near-fall.
Both slow to get up, but Dean gets up first and hammers the champion with a clothesline. Delayed suplex gets two. Dean attempts to charge and grab Rey's waist along the ropes, but Rey dodges and Dean spills through the middle to the outside. Rey is quick to follow him out with a twisting asai moonsault to the floor. Both slowly re-enter the ring, Rey quickly hits the hurracanrana pin combo, but Dean finds a way to kick out, to the amazement of the announce table. Rey to the apron, springboards into Dean, who counters with a sit-out powerbomb for another very believable near-fall.
Malenko backdrops Mysterio onto the apron, catches him climbing the ropes, sets up for the attempted second-rope gutbuster, but Rey drives a couple of knees to the head and goes for the super hurracanrana, but Malenko blocks and manages to throw him back to the mat. Rey lands on his feet, climbs back up, ****ing powerbomb from the top rope, and we have a new cruiserweight champion. Holy ****, so much amazing psychology down the home stretch of this one. Forget that part where I was questioning how good this match really was earlier, because it built to something tremendous. Dean Malenko holds the Cruiserweight Title belt up triumphantly, having desperately wanted to win it back for several months now.
Result: Dean Malenko via pinfall, new Cruiserweight Champion
Meltzer Rating: ****1/4
My Review and Rating: It was slow to start, as noted I found Dean to be just too dominant early, but the second half of the match paid the whole thing off beautifully, with lots of great execution and psychology, and the big moment of a title change that had been built to for a while, even if it was a heel win rather than a face win. I think this beats their excellent Great American Bash match. ****1/2
Date: October 27, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31348137
Background: Mysterio took the belt off Malenko on the night after Bash at the Beach, and Malenko had been trying to get it back ever since. This was his first PPV title shot since that point.
The Match: Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay on the call. Malenko jumps Mysterio before the bell, stomps away, then executes a hard belly-to-back suplex, pinning him for a two-count. He quickly goes for a Texas Cloverleaf, but Rey powers Malenko off. The challenger remains in control, locking on an arm-wringer. Rey trips Dean, attempts to follow with a quebrada, Malenko catches him, tries to go for possibly snake eyes, Rey escapes behind and shoves him into the turnbuckle, Rey goes for a hurracanrana, Malenko throws him off, drop toe-hold by Rey. Flying headscissor sends the challenger sprawling to the floor. Nice action to get things going.
Malenko back up on the apron, eats a springboard dropkick and falls back to the floor, and Rey quickly follows with a somersault sentan, then reclaims a mask that Dean stole from him at some point on WCW Saturday Night. Rey changes from his replacement mask to the one he just reclaimed while Malenko is still laid out on the floor. Nobody really cared about the mask thing. Dean re-enters, Rey with a corner mount and a 10-punch, Dean pushes him off, headscissor into a victory roll by Rey for a two-count. The Cruiserweight Champ throws a couple of hard chops, then goes for another headscissor move, but it gets countered into a side salto.
Malenko holds Rey up as if to execute a delayed suplex, then drops him along the ropes in front of him. Rey connected legs-first, and now sells a knee injury. The Iceman goes straight to work on that knee, locking on a half crab and then reaching back and jerking the same-side shoulder back as well. Malenko releases and sets Rey on the top turnbuckle. Back superplex. A bit slow to cover, and only gets two. If he had covered quickly it also would have gotten just two. Headscissor submission hold by Dean. Lets go and executes a nice-looking delayed brainbuster. Two-count.
Rey goes for a sunset flip, Dean punches down, Rey dodges, small package by Mysterio for a solid near-fall. Malenko is up almost immediately and throws a targeted dropkick at Mysterio's back on the mat. Backbreaker by Dean, who holds on and applies pressure to continue working the back. Transition into a camel clutch. I was internally questioning during the headscissor why he had laid off the leg, but I appreciate him finding a new focal point in the back. Rey tries to battle back, but Malenko connects on a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for another two.
Action goes outside, and Dean rams Rey's back into the ring apron before flinging him back inside. Snapmare into a knee-drop. He whips Rey into the ropes, then slaps on a sleeper hold, applying a bodyscissor and pulling the both of them to the mat. Rey's arm up once, twice…nope. Tony: "If Rey can escape this, then he truly IS a master of our sport!" WTF, escaping a simple sleeper qualifies you as a true master? Anyway, Rey achieves true mastery, at least for a moment, by regaining his feet, but Malenko quickly slams him back down, then picks him up and slaps that sleeper back on. Again the arm drops twice, but Rey finds the reserves to fight his way out, thereby becoming a double master.
Malenko drives the knee into the champion's gut, then executes a nice Northern lights suplex. Two. Malenko has just 100% dominated here, and while his psychology and execution were both pristine as usual, I think the one-sidedness is hurting the match a decent bit. Snapmare into an octopus by Dean. Both men back to a vertical base, Rey reverses a corner whip, Malenko floats over the top rope, both men climb to the top rope, they punch each other simultaneously and both fall to the floor. Nice.
Rey whips Dean into the guardrail, botches the follow-up and has to give it up, and Dean takes the advantage and returns him inside. He goes for another tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Rey falls on top for a two-count. Rey gets knocked to the apron, but re-enters with a springboard somersault sentan into the ring. Two. The two trade waistlocks and go-behinds, great little chain wrestling sequence finishes in Rey tripping Dean and bridging back for a near-fall.
Both slow to get up, but Dean gets up first and hammers the champion with a clothesline. Delayed suplex gets two. Dean attempts to charge and grab Rey's waist along the ropes, but Rey dodges and Dean spills through the middle to the outside. Rey is quick to follow him out with a twisting asai moonsault to the floor. Both slowly re-enter the ring, Rey quickly hits the hurracanrana pin combo, but Dean finds a way to kick out, to the amazement of the announce table. Rey to the apron, springboards into Dean, who counters with a sit-out powerbomb for another very believable near-fall.
Malenko backdrops Mysterio onto the apron, catches him climbing the ropes, sets up for the attempted second-rope gutbuster, but Rey drives a couple of knees to the head and goes for the super hurracanrana, but Malenko blocks and manages to throw him back to the mat. Rey lands on his feet, climbs back up, ****ing powerbomb from the top rope, and we have a new cruiserweight champion. Holy ****, so much amazing psychology down the home stretch of this one. Forget that part where I was questioning how good this match really was earlier, because it built to something tremendous. Dean Malenko holds the Cruiserweight Title belt up triumphantly, having desperately wanted to win it back for several months now.
Result: Dean Malenko via pinfall, new Cruiserweight Champion
Meltzer Rating: ****1/4
My Review and Rating: It was slow to start, as noted I found Dean to be just too dominant early, but the second half of the match paid the whole thing off beautifully, with lots of great execution and psychology, and the big moment of a title change that had been built to for a while, even if it was a heel win rather than a face win. I think this beats their excellent Great American Bash match. ****1/2
03-10-2016
, 03:31 AM
Just some random notes:
"He's going to throw him to Utah" - Heenan. While Malenko has control of Mysterio on the top rope.
"His father, 'The Great Malenko'" - Tony. This conjured up some images of ICP.
"If this young man can escape this, it proves he's a great in our sport." - Tony. What the ****?
Loved Mysterio doing the cornermount punches and Dean just stops selling like, "this guy is so much smaller, what the **** am I doing?".
Finish was amazing.
Guy right in the middle of the front row with a sweet Papa Shango (hand made?) shirt:
The match was silky smooth aside from that mess up outside on the guardrail which was a real shame. Loved the beginning with Malenko asserting his dominance and trying to get the finish early a couple of times. Great match and easily concur that it's right around that ****1/2 mark.
"He's going to throw him to Utah" - Heenan. While Malenko has control of Mysterio on the top rope.
"His father, 'The Great Malenko'" - Tony. This conjured up some images of ICP.
"If this young man can escape this, it proves he's a great in our sport." - Tony. What the ****?
Loved Mysterio doing the cornermount punches and Dean just stops selling like, "this guy is so much smaller, what the **** am I doing?".
Finish was amazing.
Guy right in the middle of the front row with a sweet Papa Shango (hand made?) shirt:
The match was silky smooth aside from that mess up outside on the guardrail which was a real shame. Loved the beginning with Malenko asserting his dominance and trying to get the finish early a couple of times. Great match and easily concur that it's right around that ****1/2 mark.
Last edited by .isolated; 03-10-2016 at 03:36 AM.
03-19-2016
, 10:33 PM
Survivor Series '96: Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin
Date: November 17, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31291109
Background: Bret Hart had gone on a lengthy hiatus since WrestleMania. Steve Austin, fresh off his KOTR tournament win, started talking **** about Bret for a couple of months. This finally lured Bret into coming back and accepting Austin's challenge.
The Match: Austin was very much a heel here, but there's certainly a segment of the crowd who pops for his entrance. In between the two men's entrances, Jim Ross comments, "I think this could come down to a submission match!" Well that was prescient, as long as you take the long view. Huge pop for the returning Bret Hart. Vince McMahon and Jim Ross are on the call, with Tim White officiating.
The two men stare down in the middle of the ring. Austin stands back and flips him the double bird, which is actually blurred out on the WWE Network. Ross doing some great work on commentary to build up the atmosphere of this match. The wrestlers feel each other out early, going into a couple of corners but ultimately having to break. Waistlock by Austin, go-behind by Bret, counter into an arm-wringer by Stone Cold, who wrenches that arm repeatedly. Hart kips up and returns the favor, with one wrench of the arm being particularly violent. The two trade hammerlocks, with Bret executing an armdrag and then continuing the limb work.
Nice mat wrestling between these two continues, Bret continuing to get the better of it. Austin finally gets separation with an Irish whip and a back elbow. Short clothesline by Stone Cold, who goes for a camel clutch but gets flipped over in a reversal by Bret. Bret still working that hammerlock, but Austin gets back to his feet, and after absorbing a shoulderblock he executes a stun gun that finally gives him an extended advantage.
Austin follows the stun gun by continuing to attack the throat, stomping it, strangling it, and then catapulting him throat-first into the bottom rope. This whole sequence isn't the flashiest stuff, but it's smart and I like seeing the good psychology. Bret works his way out of a chinlock and throws a hard right. The two trade fists, with Austin actually getting the better of it. How often do you see heels win punching or chopping exchanges like that? Stone Cold digs his boot into Bret's throat, but a moment later Bret manages to reverse a corner whip and then throw a pretty hard clothesline. Inverted atomic drop, and another clothesline. He rolls Austin up for a near-fall. Russian legsweep by Hart. JR calls it a "side Russian legsweep." Is there another kind? Bret goes for a bulldog, but Austin uses the momentum and pushes Bret off into the hard corner chest bump.
Bret blocks a suplex attempt, Austin blocks the counter-suplex attempt, Austin sets him up on the top turnbuckle for a superplex, but Bret counters and drops Austin face-first on the mat. Bret with an elbow off the top for a two-count. He goes for a backbreaker, but Austin reaches up and gouges the eye to break it up. Stone Cold with an Irish whip, then he simply sidesteps Hart and throws him through the middle rope. Axhandle off the apron to the floor. Austin rams him back-first into the post, then breaks the count and continues on offense, kicking the Hitman in the ribs.
Hitman finds some adrenaline and rams Austin into the guardrail, then foces him over into the crowd. He smashes Austin into the adjacent guardrail and causes it to go down completely.
Bret rolls him back inside, but Austin keeps rolling out to the opposite side, looking for more recovery time. Bret senses blood in the water and attacks, but Austin double-legs him and then catapults him into the Spanish announce table. It doesn't break, but Austin chases him over and the two brawl on the floor by it. Steve slams him on the table, then drops an elbow from the apron to the table. Stone Cold returns inside and awaits his prey. As Bret re-enters, Austin grabs him and suplexes him inside. He kicks him in the lower abdomen and then drops an elbow off the ropes for a two-count.
SCSA with the corner whip and Hart with the hard back bump this time. Austin strangles him along the bottom rope and then drops a leg on him. Two. Abdominal stretch by Stone Cold, complete with the sporadic rope leverage cheating. Tim White eventually catches him and forces the break. Austin shoves White and flips him the blurry double bird as well.
We're back into fisticuffs, right hands back and forth, this time with Bret coming out on top. Bret whips Austin, Austin reverses, Bret re-reverses, then he catches Austin and uses Austin's own signature stun gun on him. Love it. Both men slow to get up, Bret eventually gets over and attempts a magistral cradle, but only gets two. Nice piledriver by Bret to follow; fair to say that perhaps he's the only Hart who should have had Austin-piledriving privileges. Still only a two-count.
Bret Hart backbreaker. He slowly climbs the ropes…too slowly, as it turns out. Austin catches up with him, crotches him, then lays in some hard chops. Climbs up, wails on him with right hands - just awesome, vicious stuff here - then steps up one more rung to the very top before executing the superplex. Austin lays close to him after connecting, and as he goes to roll backward onto Bret, Bret actually lifts his legs up to suddenly small package him. Great near-fall.
After that, both are very slow to get up, and as they do Austin manages to hit the Stone Cold Stunner. He drags him to the middle and goes for the pin, but Bret kicks out. Oh man. I don't love that. I realize they built in the excuse of that delay, but still. Frustrated, Austin tries a couple more pin attempts, but doesn't get the three. He straddles Bret and pins him, then tries a fourth pin. Still no dice. JR rails on Austin about taking the time to drag Bret into the middle after the Stunner, but in doing so he sounds like a football announcer operating with full hindsight bias. It was a sensible move on Austin's part.
Austin locks in a Texas cloverleaf. Bret takes a lot of punishment, but manages to make it to the ropes. Austin holds until four and then releases. He whips Bret into the corner, Bret's knee gives out en route, and Bret slides ribs-first under the bottom rope and into the post. Austin is slow to cover and gets another two-count. Bow-and-arrow locked in by Stone Cold. Bret manages to kick his way out of it. He goes for a Sharpshooter, but Austin reaches the ropes before Bret can cinch it in. Frustrated, Bret gets on top and throws fists. Sleeper by Bret. Austin struggles, but then frees himself up with a jawbreaker. Austin stalks up behind Bret, locking on the Million Dollar Dream. Bret flails, then puts a foot up along the top rope and kicks back, ending up on top for a pinning combo and escaping luckily with the 1-2-3.
Result: Bret Hart via pinfall
Meltzer Rating: ****1/2
My Review and Rating: Tremendous match. Such deep storytelling, unlike almost any other match you'll see up to that point. They didn't rely on cliches, they told an original story, sold incredibly well at all points, and the ending was a perfect way for them to do this result without damaging Austin. I still wish they would have better protected the Stunner, but whatever…I remember being disappointed in this match back when it happened, but upon rewatch it's awesome. I think perhaps I was just disappointed that Austin didn't go over. Obviously I didn't have to worry about his long-term well-being. ****3/4
Date: November 17, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31291109
Background: Bret Hart had gone on a lengthy hiatus since WrestleMania. Steve Austin, fresh off his KOTR tournament win, started talking **** about Bret for a couple of months. This finally lured Bret into coming back and accepting Austin's challenge.
The Match: Austin was very much a heel here, but there's certainly a segment of the crowd who pops for his entrance. In between the two men's entrances, Jim Ross comments, "I think this could come down to a submission match!" Well that was prescient, as long as you take the long view. Huge pop for the returning Bret Hart. Vince McMahon and Jim Ross are on the call, with Tim White officiating.
The two men stare down in the middle of the ring. Austin stands back and flips him the double bird, which is actually blurred out on the WWE Network. Ross doing some great work on commentary to build up the atmosphere of this match. The wrestlers feel each other out early, going into a couple of corners but ultimately having to break. Waistlock by Austin, go-behind by Bret, counter into an arm-wringer by Stone Cold, who wrenches that arm repeatedly. Hart kips up and returns the favor, with one wrench of the arm being particularly violent. The two trade hammerlocks, with Bret executing an armdrag and then continuing the limb work.
Nice mat wrestling between these two continues, Bret continuing to get the better of it. Austin finally gets separation with an Irish whip and a back elbow. Short clothesline by Stone Cold, who goes for a camel clutch but gets flipped over in a reversal by Bret. Bret still working that hammerlock, but Austin gets back to his feet, and after absorbing a shoulderblock he executes a stun gun that finally gives him an extended advantage.
Austin follows the stun gun by continuing to attack the throat, stomping it, strangling it, and then catapulting him throat-first into the bottom rope. This whole sequence isn't the flashiest stuff, but it's smart and I like seeing the good psychology. Bret works his way out of a chinlock and throws a hard right. The two trade fists, with Austin actually getting the better of it. How often do you see heels win punching or chopping exchanges like that? Stone Cold digs his boot into Bret's throat, but a moment later Bret manages to reverse a corner whip and then throw a pretty hard clothesline. Inverted atomic drop, and another clothesline. He rolls Austin up for a near-fall. Russian legsweep by Hart. JR calls it a "side Russian legsweep." Is there another kind? Bret goes for a bulldog, but Austin uses the momentum and pushes Bret off into the hard corner chest bump.
Bret blocks a suplex attempt, Austin blocks the counter-suplex attempt, Austin sets him up on the top turnbuckle for a superplex, but Bret counters and drops Austin face-first on the mat. Bret with an elbow off the top for a two-count. He goes for a backbreaker, but Austin reaches up and gouges the eye to break it up. Stone Cold with an Irish whip, then he simply sidesteps Hart and throws him through the middle rope. Axhandle off the apron to the floor. Austin rams him back-first into the post, then breaks the count and continues on offense, kicking the Hitman in the ribs.
Hitman finds some adrenaline and rams Austin into the guardrail, then foces him over into the crowd. He smashes Austin into the adjacent guardrail and causes it to go down completely.
Bret rolls him back inside, but Austin keeps rolling out to the opposite side, looking for more recovery time. Bret senses blood in the water and attacks, but Austin double-legs him and then catapults him into the Spanish announce table. It doesn't break, but Austin chases him over and the two brawl on the floor by it. Steve slams him on the table, then drops an elbow from the apron to the table. Stone Cold returns inside and awaits his prey. As Bret re-enters, Austin grabs him and suplexes him inside. He kicks him in the lower abdomen and then drops an elbow off the ropes for a two-count.
SCSA with the corner whip and Hart with the hard back bump this time. Austin strangles him along the bottom rope and then drops a leg on him. Two. Abdominal stretch by Stone Cold, complete with the sporadic rope leverage cheating. Tim White eventually catches him and forces the break. Austin shoves White and flips him the blurry double bird as well.
We're back into fisticuffs, right hands back and forth, this time with Bret coming out on top. Bret whips Austin, Austin reverses, Bret re-reverses, then he catches Austin and uses Austin's own signature stun gun on him. Love it. Both men slow to get up, Bret eventually gets over and attempts a magistral cradle, but only gets two. Nice piledriver by Bret to follow; fair to say that perhaps he's the only Hart who should have had Austin-piledriving privileges. Still only a two-count.
Bret Hart backbreaker. He slowly climbs the ropes…too slowly, as it turns out. Austin catches up with him, crotches him, then lays in some hard chops. Climbs up, wails on him with right hands - just awesome, vicious stuff here - then steps up one more rung to the very top before executing the superplex. Austin lays close to him after connecting, and as he goes to roll backward onto Bret, Bret actually lifts his legs up to suddenly small package him. Great near-fall.
After that, both are very slow to get up, and as they do Austin manages to hit the Stone Cold Stunner. He drags him to the middle and goes for the pin, but Bret kicks out. Oh man. I don't love that. I realize they built in the excuse of that delay, but still. Frustrated, Austin tries a couple more pin attempts, but doesn't get the three. He straddles Bret and pins him, then tries a fourth pin. Still no dice. JR rails on Austin about taking the time to drag Bret into the middle after the Stunner, but in doing so he sounds like a football announcer operating with full hindsight bias. It was a sensible move on Austin's part.
Austin locks in a Texas cloverleaf. Bret takes a lot of punishment, but manages to make it to the ropes. Austin holds until four and then releases. He whips Bret into the corner, Bret's knee gives out en route, and Bret slides ribs-first under the bottom rope and into the post. Austin is slow to cover and gets another two-count. Bow-and-arrow locked in by Stone Cold. Bret manages to kick his way out of it. He goes for a Sharpshooter, but Austin reaches the ropes before Bret can cinch it in. Frustrated, Bret gets on top and throws fists. Sleeper by Bret. Austin struggles, but then frees himself up with a jawbreaker. Austin stalks up behind Bret, locking on the Million Dollar Dream. Bret flails, then puts a foot up along the top rope and kicks back, ending up on top for a pinning combo and escaping luckily with the 1-2-3.
Result: Bret Hart via pinfall
Meltzer Rating: ****1/2
My Review and Rating: Tremendous match. Such deep storytelling, unlike almost any other match you'll see up to that point. They didn't rely on cliches, they told an original story, sold incredibly well at all points, and the ending was a perfect way for them to do this result without damaging Austin. I still wish they would have better protected the Stunner, but whatever…I remember being disappointed in this match back when it happened, but upon rewatch it's awesome. I think perhaps I was just disappointed that Austin didn't go over. Obviously I didn't have to worry about his long-term well-being. ****3/4
03-25-2016
, 08:49 PM
World War 3 '96: J-Crown Title - Ultimo Dragon (c) (w/ Sonny Onoo) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
Date: November 24, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31348351
Background: No personal feud or anything behind this one, just top cruiserweights going at it over Ultimo Dragon's international cruiserweight belts, with both men wanting to hold these eight titles in addition to the WCW Cruiserweight Title that is currently held by Dean Malenko.
The Match: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Dusty Rhodes on the call, Mark Curtis officiating. Side headlock takeover by Dragon, headscissor by Rey, and a reset. Arm-wringer by Dragon, into an armbar, and then a couple of knee-drops into the same arm before locking in a crucifix on both arms. Rey with the escape, then he jumps on Dragon's knee. Dusty: "That can break a leg." Heenan: "No doubt about that." Dusty: "About what?" Are you ****ing serious, Dusty? Bodyslam and an elbow-drop by Ultimo, who locks in a reverse chinlock.
Rey reverses into a hammerlock, both get up to a vertical base, Ultimo flips out of it and then gets his own armbar on. Both men run the ropes, dodge each other several times, dueling jumping kicks, both jump back to their feet, and they reset as the crowd cheers. Ultimo with his signature series of kicks to the side of the leg, culminating in the spinning back kick that floors the challenger. Rey reverses a whip, Dragon backdrops him to the apron and then connects on a springboard dropkick.
Sonny Onoo gets a kick in on Rey on the floor. Heenan calls Onoo a very intelligent businessman. Dusty, referencing the NJPW/WCW World Cup from the prior year, says, "You should know, because you took money from him." Heenan: "I didn't take money. They just had a yen for me." Heenan still had some good ones in him. Ultimo tries to suplex Rey back in, Rey escapes behind, go-behind by Ultimo, German suplex by Dragon gets a near-fall. Dragon whips Mysterio into the ropes and throws him upward for the crash landing on the mat. He follows with kick to the ribs, then picks Rey up overhead in his modified airplane spin into a kneeling backbreaker.
Another more conventional backbreaker by Dragon, and then a transition into a half-crab. Dragon releases on his own, then executes a powerbomb that he then transitions into a stun gun. Another very nice spot. A bit slow to cover, and he only gets two.
Ultimo with a spinebuster directly into a giant swing. Both are slow to get up after that one. Fisherman buster by Ultimo gets another two. Then a brainbuster, still only good for two. Rey counters a suplex attempt into a small package that gets his own two-count, but Ultimo is right back up with a kick to the back of the head, and then he locks Rey's leg into a grapevine. He lets it go, picks Rey up, and hits a ****ing jumping tombstone. I think Shawn Michaels's career just ended. Still, a lax cover doesn't end the match.
Dragon dropkicks Mysterio to the outside. Then he kicks him through the ropes, skins the cat, launches himself over the top to the floor, and whips Mysterio into the nearby guardrail. The level of one-sidedness in this match is sort of crazy, but as Dusty actually noted earlier on commentary, Ultimo was sort of following Dean Malenko's blueprint. Ultimo connects on a tombstone on the floor. ****. The padded floor, but still. Dragon heads back in for a moment, just to perform a slingshot splash to the floor.
Back inside, Dragon sets Rey on the top turnbuckle and executes the spinning super hurracanrana. Still only a two-count. Running powerbomb, and Mysterio kicks out again. The kickouts are getting a little bit silly.
Dragon runs into a boot on a corner charge, then Mysterio follows with a spinning wheel kick. Mysterio goes for a springboard moonsault that doesn't really connect, and doesn't get a three-count. Springboard dropkick by Rey into Ultimo's back, sending him sprawling to the outside. Springboard somersault plancha to the floor by Mysterio. After a slow return to the ring, Mysterio executes a springboard sunset flip, 1-2-no. Dragon rolls through Mysterio with a pin attempt to get two as well. Rey jumps on Ultimo's shoulders, rotates into a hurracanrana pinning combo, and the Dragon kicks out just barely in time. That move doesn't seem to finish matches for Rey anymore.
Dragon suplex by Ultimo doesn't finish things either. Rey counters a powerbomb into a sunset flip for another believable near-fall. I find that Rey's earlier kickouts in this match have me rooting against him to an unusual extent. Mysterio with a springboard hurracanrana attempt, Dragon blocks, bounces Rey into the top rope, then carries the momentum into a sitout powerbomb that finally ships it.
Result: Ultimo Dragon via pinfall
Meltzer Rating: ****1/2
My Review and Rating: Great match. As an offensive showcase by Ultimo Dragon, it was pristine. It didn't have the most engaging story, I do think they probably overdid the early dominance part, and I didn't necessarily love the ending (though I'm not saying I disliked it either…it just elicited a reaction of "oh, that's how they're ending it"), but those are just nitpicks that explain why I go a bit less than Meltzer on this one. Still markedly better than their Hog Wild match. ****
Date: November 24, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31348351
Background: No personal feud or anything behind this one, just top cruiserweights going at it over Ultimo Dragon's international cruiserweight belts, with both men wanting to hold these eight titles in addition to the WCW Cruiserweight Title that is currently held by Dean Malenko.
The Match: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Dusty Rhodes on the call, Mark Curtis officiating. Side headlock takeover by Dragon, headscissor by Rey, and a reset. Arm-wringer by Dragon, into an armbar, and then a couple of knee-drops into the same arm before locking in a crucifix on both arms. Rey with the escape, then he jumps on Dragon's knee. Dusty: "That can break a leg." Heenan: "No doubt about that." Dusty: "About what?" Are you ****ing serious, Dusty? Bodyslam and an elbow-drop by Ultimo, who locks in a reverse chinlock.
Rey reverses into a hammerlock, both get up to a vertical base, Ultimo flips out of it and then gets his own armbar on. Both men run the ropes, dodge each other several times, dueling jumping kicks, both jump back to their feet, and they reset as the crowd cheers. Ultimo with his signature series of kicks to the side of the leg, culminating in the spinning back kick that floors the challenger. Rey reverses a whip, Dragon backdrops him to the apron and then connects on a springboard dropkick.
Sonny Onoo gets a kick in on Rey on the floor. Heenan calls Onoo a very intelligent businessman. Dusty, referencing the NJPW/WCW World Cup from the prior year, says, "You should know, because you took money from him." Heenan: "I didn't take money. They just had a yen for me." Heenan still had some good ones in him. Ultimo tries to suplex Rey back in, Rey escapes behind, go-behind by Ultimo, German suplex by Dragon gets a near-fall. Dragon whips Mysterio into the ropes and throws him upward for the crash landing on the mat. He follows with kick to the ribs, then picks Rey up overhead in his modified airplane spin into a kneeling backbreaker.
Another more conventional backbreaker by Dragon, and then a transition into a half-crab. Dragon releases on his own, then executes a powerbomb that he then transitions into a stun gun. Another very nice spot. A bit slow to cover, and he only gets two.
Ultimo with a spinebuster directly into a giant swing. Both are slow to get up after that one. Fisherman buster by Ultimo gets another two. Then a brainbuster, still only good for two. Rey counters a suplex attempt into a small package that gets his own two-count, but Ultimo is right back up with a kick to the back of the head, and then he locks Rey's leg into a grapevine. He lets it go, picks Rey up, and hits a ****ing jumping tombstone. I think Shawn Michaels's career just ended. Still, a lax cover doesn't end the match.
Dragon dropkicks Mysterio to the outside. Then he kicks him through the ropes, skins the cat, launches himself over the top to the floor, and whips Mysterio into the nearby guardrail. The level of one-sidedness in this match is sort of crazy, but as Dusty actually noted earlier on commentary, Ultimo was sort of following Dean Malenko's blueprint. Ultimo connects on a tombstone on the floor. ****. The padded floor, but still. Dragon heads back in for a moment, just to perform a slingshot splash to the floor.
Back inside, Dragon sets Rey on the top turnbuckle and executes the spinning super hurracanrana. Still only a two-count. Running powerbomb, and Mysterio kicks out again. The kickouts are getting a little bit silly.
Dragon runs into a boot on a corner charge, then Mysterio follows with a spinning wheel kick. Mysterio goes for a springboard moonsault that doesn't really connect, and doesn't get a three-count. Springboard dropkick by Rey into Ultimo's back, sending him sprawling to the outside. Springboard somersault plancha to the floor by Mysterio. After a slow return to the ring, Mysterio executes a springboard sunset flip, 1-2-no. Dragon rolls through Mysterio with a pin attempt to get two as well. Rey jumps on Ultimo's shoulders, rotates into a hurracanrana pinning combo, and the Dragon kicks out just barely in time. That move doesn't seem to finish matches for Rey anymore.
Dragon suplex by Ultimo doesn't finish things either. Rey counters a powerbomb into a sunset flip for another believable near-fall. I find that Rey's earlier kickouts in this match have me rooting against him to an unusual extent. Mysterio with a springboard hurracanrana attempt, Dragon blocks, bounces Rey into the top rope, then carries the momentum into a sitout powerbomb that finally ships it.
Result: Ultimo Dragon via pinfall
Meltzer Rating: ****1/2
My Review and Rating: Great match. As an offensive showcase by Ultimo Dragon, it was pristine. It didn't have the most engaging story, I do think they probably overdid the early dominance part, and I didn't necessarily love the ending (though I'm not saying I disliked it either…it just elicited a reaction of "oh, that's how they're ending it"), but those are just nitpicks that explain why I go a bit less than Meltzer on this one. Still markedly better than their Hog Wild match. ****
. Going to go check this out.
06-18-2016
, 09:51 PM
Starrcade '96: J-Crown Title vs. WCW Cruiserweight Title Unification - Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko
Date: December 29, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31355125
Background: No significant personal feud here. Malenko was the WCW Cruiserweight Champion, Ultimo held a bunch of titles from international companies, and this was the unification match.
The Match: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Dusty Rhodes, and Mike Tenay on the call. Malenko is out second, and gets a really big pop from the Starrcade crowd. It's hard not to get optimistic about a crowd that is primed to get behind Dean Malenko in a big way.
Dean and the Dragon circle each other tentatively, lock up, release, reset. Dragon resists a drop toe-hold, but Malenko sticks with it and executes. The two men counter into armbars back and forth, then Dragon transitions into a grapevine on Dean's left leg. Dean counters and escapes by rolling into the ropes. Reset. Takedown by Ultimo into a reverse chinlock. Malenko counters into a wristlock, Ultimo flips out of it into his own, Malenko mimics and flips out of that as well, and now into a grounded headscissor. Ultimo kips up, and we have another reset. Snapmare and some stiff kicks to the back of the Iceman. Malenko finds his feet and throws a hard back suplex.
Both slow to rise, but Dean is up first. Snapmare, reverse chinlock, then another grounded headscissor. Ultimo rolls over and escapes, stomping at the WCW Cruiserweight Champion. Dragon continues with another chinlock as the crowd breaks into a "USA" chant. Well, you had to know there was a reason they were so strongly behind Dean. Signature series of kicks by the Dragon, then a half-crab, transitioning to an STF. Tony calls it "kind of a half-crab," prompting Dusty to say, "What do you mean kind of a half-crab? That's a WHOLE half-crab." Tony: "Are you going to jump down my throat on everything I say?" Heenan: "That's like being half-nuts. If you're nuts, you're nuts. Doesn't matter whether you're half-nuts or three-quarters nuts, you're nuts. He's in a crab, pal. Whether a half-crab, a full crab, or a stone crab, he's in a crab!" I love it when Heenan and Dusty team up on Tony.
Dragon releases the hold, rope-running sequence, Dragon jumps over Dean and then chops and kicks him against the corner. He tries to jump out behind Dean in the opposite corner, but Dean catches his legs and flings him from that vulnerable position to the floor. Malenko baseball slide misses, then Ultimo bodyslams him on the mat outside. Dragon back inside, fakes one jump to the outside, then propels himself through the middle rope and connects.
Ultimo sends things back into the ring, attempts a pin, gets two. Dean blocks a suplex attempt and throws a suplex of his own. Both slow to recover, Dragon up slightly first, but his pin attempt is no good. Both slowly up from there, Malenko surprises with a sunset flip for a near-fall. Dragon up quickly this time, hard kick to Malenko's back. Follows with a slam, a futile pin attempt, and a kneeling surfboard. Into a standing octopus from there. I love a good octopus hold. Dragon releases on his own and continues putting the boots to the Cruiserweight Champion. Slaps on a sleeper, but doesn't cinch it in fully, and it leaves enough opening for Dean to throw a back suplex.
After a recovery, Malenko throws a release German suplex. Two. Spins into a grapevine on the Dragon's left leg. Dragon fights his way into a rope break, but Malenko is up quickly to drag him back into the middle and slap the hold back on with even greater authority. Eventually Dragon manages another rope break. Malenko with a great sequence to follow, as he immediately executes a one-legged atomic drop on the bad leg, then holds the leg and hits a targeted dropkick on it. Love it.
Malenko picks him back up, as if for an inverted atomic drop, but he ends up flinging him down and grapevining the same leg again. Dragon tries to kick his way loose with the good leg, but to no avail. He eventually reaches the ropes. Dean is relentless, attacking Dragon in the corner. Dragon reverses a corner whip, follows with his handspring back elbow (totally forgetting his bad limb on this sequence; bad Dragon), Dean dodges it and continues attacking. Corner whip by the Iceman, catches Dragon's boot as he charges in, but recovers in time for the scoop powerslam when Dragon tries to follow his big boot up.
Malenko is slow to get up and attempt a pin, and in fact Dragon gets up as quickly as he does. Ultimo partially botches a spinning wheel kick, but follows with a powerbomb and gets two. Malenko counters a tombstone attempt into one of his own, he jumps and connects. Still only gets a near-fall…the fans were huge into that one.
Malenko goes for the Texas Cloverleaf, but Dragon goes nuts when Malenko tries for it and quickly works his way back toward the ropes. Butterfly powerbomb by Dean instead, with a roll into a bridge, 1, 2…no. Malenko attempts a cross-body against Dragon on the ropes, the two men botch the spot and only Dean goes outside. Dragon rolls out as well, the exact wrong reaction to a botch. The two sloppily get back in line for the next sequence…this I don't mind, as it just looks like sincere fatigue, and probably was…Dragon manages to set up, and hit, an asai moonsault.
Both men down for a good while, both slow to get up, both return to the ring to beat the count. Dragon heads up top for a move, but Dean meets him up there and sets up for a back superplex. Dragon elbows him off, throws a moonsault, but it misses. He starts selling the bad knee on impact, honestly the first time he's sold it since Dean quit working on it earlier. Malenko follows with the Texas Cloverleaf, cinches it in right in the middle of the ring, and what looked like our sure ending spot gets disrupted when Sonny Onoo jumps up on the apron and Malenko relinquishes the hold. Malenko goes back to reapply the hold, Dragon surprises with a small package…just a near-fall, and Malenko throws a clothesline for good measure. I bought both of those false finishes.
Malenko with a high-impact brainbuster. Two-count. Malenko, against character, shows frustration. The announcers do a good job to note that. That type of subtle character thing is great, where a guy can truly stick to being stoic 99% of the time but breaks for a moment on the big stage like that.
Dragon escapes a suplex attempt, goes for his own, Malenko escapes that, Dragon sets up for a tiger suplex, Malenko again counters and goes behind for his own, Dragon drops down out of it and tries to kick backward, Dean sits down on him briefly, then picks him up as if to slam him, Dragon capitalizes with another go-behind, this time he successfully connects on the tiger suplex, 1-2-3.
Result: Ultimo Dragon via pinfall, new unified Cruiserweight + J-Crown Champion
Meltzer Rating: ****1/2
My Review and Rating: I'm going lower than Meltzer, and I even briefly considered going less than four stars, but the second half of the match just had too much greatness for me to do that. My criticism, nitty as it may be, is two connected things: the match's start was a bit too slow and too long getting in, and once it did actually go somewhere with a story, it was Malenko's great leg work, which Dragon promptly forgot all about until a specific spot where he was supposed to sell it later. It mostly erased everything they did in the first half of the match, the mat-wrestling stuff, and rendered it as being filler.
Like I said though, there was just a ton of awesome in the second half, too much to grade the match at less than four stars. Great atmosphere, clever false finish work, like the frustration from Malenko in this specific spot as I noted, and the ending was well done. A sincere compliment I can pay to this match is that, despite the fact that I have always really liked Ultimo Dragon, I was with the crowd and I was very disappointed when Malenko didn't ship this. That means they really got me into it. ****1/4
Date: December 29, 1996
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31355125
Background: No significant personal feud here. Malenko was the WCW Cruiserweight Champion, Ultimo held a bunch of titles from international companies, and this was the unification match.
The Match: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Dusty Rhodes, and Mike Tenay on the call. Malenko is out second, and gets a really big pop from the Starrcade crowd. It's hard not to get optimistic about a crowd that is primed to get behind Dean Malenko in a big way.
Dean and the Dragon circle each other tentatively, lock up, release, reset. Dragon resists a drop toe-hold, but Malenko sticks with it and executes. The two men counter into armbars back and forth, then Dragon transitions into a grapevine on Dean's left leg. Dean counters and escapes by rolling into the ropes. Reset. Takedown by Ultimo into a reverse chinlock. Malenko counters into a wristlock, Ultimo flips out of it into his own, Malenko mimics and flips out of that as well, and now into a grounded headscissor. Ultimo kips up, and we have another reset. Snapmare and some stiff kicks to the back of the Iceman. Malenko finds his feet and throws a hard back suplex.
Both slow to rise, but Dean is up first. Snapmare, reverse chinlock, then another grounded headscissor. Ultimo rolls over and escapes, stomping at the WCW Cruiserweight Champion. Dragon continues with another chinlock as the crowd breaks into a "USA" chant. Well, you had to know there was a reason they were so strongly behind Dean. Signature series of kicks by the Dragon, then a half-crab, transitioning to an STF. Tony calls it "kind of a half-crab," prompting Dusty to say, "What do you mean kind of a half-crab? That's a WHOLE half-crab." Tony: "Are you going to jump down my throat on everything I say?" Heenan: "That's like being half-nuts. If you're nuts, you're nuts. Doesn't matter whether you're half-nuts or three-quarters nuts, you're nuts. He's in a crab, pal. Whether a half-crab, a full crab, or a stone crab, he's in a crab!" I love it when Heenan and Dusty team up on Tony.
Dragon releases the hold, rope-running sequence, Dragon jumps over Dean and then chops and kicks him against the corner. He tries to jump out behind Dean in the opposite corner, but Dean catches his legs and flings him from that vulnerable position to the floor. Malenko baseball slide misses, then Ultimo bodyslams him on the mat outside. Dragon back inside, fakes one jump to the outside, then propels himself through the middle rope and connects.
Ultimo sends things back into the ring, attempts a pin, gets two. Dean blocks a suplex attempt and throws a suplex of his own. Both slow to recover, Dragon up slightly first, but his pin attempt is no good. Both slowly up from there, Malenko surprises with a sunset flip for a near-fall. Dragon up quickly this time, hard kick to Malenko's back. Follows with a slam, a futile pin attempt, and a kneeling surfboard. Into a standing octopus from there. I love a good octopus hold. Dragon releases on his own and continues putting the boots to the Cruiserweight Champion. Slaps on a sleeper, but doesn't cinch it in fully, and it leaves enough opening for Dean to throw a back suplex.
After a recovery, Malenko throws a release German suplex. Two. Spins into a grapevine on the Dragon's left leg. Dragon fights his way into a rope break, but Malenko is up quickly to drag him back into the middle and slap the hold back on with even greater authority. Eventually Dragon manages another rope break. Malenko with a great sequence to follow, as he immediately executes a one-legged atomic drop on the bad leg, then holds the leg and hits a targeted dropkick on it. Love it.
Malenko picks him back up, as if for an inverted atomic drop, but he ends up flinging him down and grapevining the same leg again. Dragon tries to kick his way loose with the good leg, but to no avail. He eventually reaches the ropes. Dean is relentless, attacking Dragon in the corner. Dragon reverses a corner whip, follows with his handspring back elbow (totally forgetting his bad limb on this sequence; bad Dragon), Dean dodges it and continues attacking. Corner whip by the Iceman, catches Dragon's boot as he charges in, but recovers in time for the scoop powerslam when Dragon tries to follow his big boot up.
Malenko is slow to get up and attempt a pin, and in fact Dragon gets up as quickly as he does. Ultimo partially botches a spinning wheel kick, but follows with a powerbomb and gets two. Malenko counters a tombstone attempt into one of his own, he jumps and connects. Still only gets a near-fall…the fans were huge into that one.
Malenko goes for the Texas Cloverleaf, but Dragon goes nuts when Malenko tries for it and quickly works his way back toward the ropes. Butterfly powerbomb by Dean instead, with a roll into a bridge, 1, 2…no. Malenko attempts a cross-body against Dragon on the ropes, the two men botch the spot and only Dean goes outside. Dragon rolls out as well, the exact wrong reaction to a botch. The two sloppily get back in line for the next sequence…this I don't mind, as it just looks like sincere fatigue, and probably was…Dragon manages to set up, and hit, an asai moonsault.
Both men down for a good while, both slow to get up, both return to the ring to beat the count. Dragon heads up top for a move, but Dean meets him up there and sets up for a back superplex. Dragon elbows him off, throws a moonsault, but it misses. He starts selling the bad knee on impact, honestly the first time he's sold it since Dean quit working on it earlier. Malenko follows with the Texas Cloverleaf, cinches it in right in the middle of the ring, and what looked like our sure ending spot gets disrupted when Sonny Onoo jumps up on the apron and Malenko relinquishes the hold. Malenko goes back to reapply the hold, Dragon surprises with a small package…just a near-fall, and Malenko throws a clothesline for good measure. I bought both of those false finishes.
Malenko with a high-impact brainbuster. Two-count. Malenko, against character, shows frustration. The announcers do a good job to note that. That type of subtle character thing is great, where a guy can truly stick to being stoic 99% of the time but breaks for a moment on the big stage like that.
Dragon escapes a suplex attempt, goes for his own, Malenko escapes that, Dragon sets up for a tiger suplex, Malenko again counters and goes behind for his own, Dragon drops down out of it and tries to kick backward, Dean sits down on him briefly, then picks him up as if to slam him, Dragon capitalizes with another go-behind, this time he successfully connects on the tiger suplex, 1-2-3.
Result: Ultimo Dragon via pinfall, new unified Cruiserweight + J-Crown Champion
Meltzer Rating: ****1/2
My Review and Rating: I'm going lower than Meltzer, and I even briefly considered going less than four stars, but the second half of the match just had too much greatness for me to do that. My criticism, nitty as it may be, is two connected things: the match's start was a bit too slow and too long getting in, and once it did actually go somewhere with a story, it was Malenko's great leg work, which Dragon promptly forgot all about until a specific spot where he was supposed to sell it later. It mostly erased everything they did in the first half of the match, the mat-wrestling stuff, and rendered it as being filler.
Like I said though, there was just a ton of awesome in the second half, too much to grade the match at less than four stars. Great atmosphere, clever false finish work, like the frustration from Malenko in this specific spot as I noted, and the ending was well done. A sincere compliment I can pay to this match is that, despite the fact that I have always really liked Ultimo Dragon, I was with the crowd and I was very disappointed when Malenko didn't ship this. That means they really got me into it. ****1/4