CHRIS JERICHO VS. JUVENTUD GUERRERA
( WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP VS. MASK)
WCW Superbrawl VIII (22nd February 1998)
This match is smack-bang in the middle of the card for this event. Match #6 out of 11. This match is available on the WWE DVD release “The Rise and Fall of WCW” simple story to the match, Juventud Guerrera is a former WCW cruiserweight champion and he wants his belt back. Jericho wants Juvi to put something on the line so Juvi decides to sacrifice his mask to win the WCW cruiserweight championship back. Jericho is on his third reign with the belt.
Juventud Guerrera makes his entrance first, getting a decent reaction from the fans. Mike Tenay, Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan are on commentary for this match. Schiavone says this match is serious because Juvi usually embraces his fans more than this. Chris Jericho is billed from Calgary, although he's actually from Winnipeg.
He grabs a fan's Jerichoholic sign and rips it up, because heel Jericho's a prick. He makes his way to the ring acting like everybody loves him and we get a close up of Juvi's mask. The referee calls for the bell but can't get the championship off Jericho. Heenan says it's like his binky. He takes it everywhere with him. The crowd give Jericho shit and he stomps his feet. He's starting the match wearing the belt and locks up with Juvi, backing him into the ropes. Jericho gets a clean break, backing to the centre of the ring. Jericho still won't take his belt off as they go into another collar-elbow tie up. Jericho gets control of Juvi's arm, dropping him to one knee. Juvi rolls through and kips up, reversing the control. Jericho kicks him in the gut and connects with a loud chop, sending him against the ropes. Jericho sends Juvi across the ring but Juvi slides under his legs, hitting him with a spin kick. Juvi hit the championship belt and winds Jericho, causing him to relinquish it to the referee, sitting by the ropes to catch his breath.
Juvi lets the champion get to his feet before hitting him with forearms. Juvi with an irish whip and he hits Jericho with a leg lariat as Tenay talks about Jericho pressuring Juvi into putting his mask on the line in El Paso, Texas. Juvi applies a chinlock on the floor, but Jericho reverses it into a hammerlock. The hold still applied as Jericho brings Juvi up to his feet and knees him in the midsection, knocking the challenger back down. Jericho stays on offence as Heenan says Juvi doesn't want to lose his mask because he looks like Freddie Fender. Jericho hits a hard chop on Juvi against the ropes and sends him across the ring. Juvi ducks a clothesline and runs back at Jericho, taking him down with a flying headscissors. Jericho back to his feet near the ropes and sends Juvi over the top. Juvi lands on his feet and hits Jericho with a springboard leg lariat! Jericho rolls out to the apron, Juvi out on a different side, he springboards over to Jericho and fluffs a headscissors or hurricanrana. It went so bad I can't tell. Juvi's back hit the side of the apron with a thud, and Jericho just protected himself enough.
Both men get to their feet on the floor, and Juvi chops Jericho, sending him down to the floor. Juvi gets back in the ring. Jericho looks around. He's playing possum with the championship advantage! Jericho periodically looks around, and Juvi drops to the floor at 7, hitting Jericho with a standing elbow drop. He brings Jericho up by his hair and threatens to send him headfirst into the apron. Juvi decides instead to send him into the ring so Juvi can relieve him of his championship. Juvi boots Jericho in the chest when he's on one knee and hits a trio of chops against the ropes. Jericho fires back with a boot of his own to Juvi's midsection. Jericho hits a clubbing blow to the back and Juvi takes a back bump....? Juvi's brought back to his feet so Jericho can sock him, sending him into the corner. Jericho brings Juvi to the centre of the ring for a german suplex, but Juvi lands on his feet! Great agility. Juventud runs at Jericho for a hurricanrana, but Jericho lifts him overhead and hangs his throat on the top rope. The cruiserweights get their usual treatment from commentary as Schiavone mentions tonight's main event is for the vacant WCW World championship. The fourth time Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Sting have faced each other since Starrcade 1997 2 months ago. Juvi rolls out to the apron, and Jericho hits him with the triangle dropkick from the corner, knocking him down to the floor. Jericho tells the camera he can fly too and climbs down to the arena floor. Jericho scoops Juvi up and slams him on the mat before moving the ring steps. Jericho breaks the count and gets a run-up. Jericho flies from the stairs but Juvi catches him and hot shot's him on the guardrail! Juvi brings Jericho back in the ring after soaking in the crowd.
Juventud Guerrera gets caught on a springboard cross body and Jericho spikes him with a cradle tombstone piledriver. Jericho can't capitalise immediately, though so Juvi gets his shoulder up at 2. Jericho takes the tape off his upper arm and boots Juvi, bringing him back to his feet. Juvi gets sent across the ring and Jericho barely gets the knockdown. Jericho gets his cocky foot-on-chest cover screaming “come on baby!” but what preceded it made it look out of place. Juvi kicks out and Tenay talks about the mask being on the line. Juventud Guerrera is a second generation Luchador and his father (Fuerza Guerrera) wore a similar mask in his career. So it that adds to how special it is to Juvi. Juvi creates some distance and gets to his feet. Jericho's right there with him and connects with a right hand. Juvi sent across the ring and Jericho lifts him overhead, but Juventud Guerrera scrambles out the back and leaps on Jericho's shoulders. Juvi rolls Jericho up! 1, 2, no! Jericho sends Juvi down to the mat with a big boot and Jericho's getting visibly frustrated. He brings Juvi to his feet again by his hair and mocks the referee counting him. Jericho hits a stalling vertical suplex in a fantastic display of strength! Heenan compares Jericho to Randy Savage saying what you see is what you get as Jericho hits a running senton for a nearfall.
Jericho hits a backbreaker on Juvi and holds him over his knee, arching Juvi's back. Jericho pushes down on Juvi's jaw and leans his elbow on Juvi's midsection. The referee asks Juvi if he quits. Jericho says Juvi quit and tells the referee to ring the bell. Jericho releases the hold and celebrates like he's won. The referee says he didn't hear Juvi quit so he's not calling it. Jericho stomps on Juvi in frustration as “The Brain” just won't shut up about Savage. Saying he wouldn't quit to that hold either. Jericho lays in a boot in the corner, but Juvi fights back. A pair of chops bring Juvi out of the corner but he runs into a clothesline from Jericho. Jericho covers but Juvi's too close to the ropes. Schiavone is talking about The Giant giving an update on his neck injury from Souled Out last month, later in the evening. Jericho perches Juvi on the top turnbuckle, hitting a forearm before following to the middle rope. Juvi fires back and shoves Jericho down. Jericho rolls through and Juvi leaps off for a hurricanrana, Juvi spins to sit on Jericho's shoulders but Jericho drops down electric chair style. Jericho climbs to the top rope for a moonsault, but Juvi dropkicks him from behind, pushing him down to the floor!
Jericho favours his left knee on the floor, and takes a slow walk, belittling the camera man for being in his way. Juvi springboards out with a flying crescent kick, but Schiovane says he wanted to hit an elbow. Heenan and Schiovane bicker as Juvi rolls Jericho back in the ring. Jericho tries to escape but Juvi grabs the tights. Jericho gets dragged back in the ring, and irish whipped to the opposite corner. Jericho tries to float over Juvi but Juvi catches him in a sitout tombstone! He climbs to the top rope and hits the 450 splash, which Schiovane says no one's kicked out of. Jericho grabs the bottom rope at the very last second. It's so close Juvi thinks he's won. The referee has to burst Juvi's bubble that he's not yet a 2-time champion. Juvi argues with the referee for about 3 years until Jericho clips him from behind. Jericho takes advantage, beating him down. Jericho attempts a standing german suplex in the centre of the ring, but Juvi gets a fruit rollup. Only a 2 count for Juvi, but he remains masked for now. Jericho knocks Juvi down with a hard clothesline for an immediate nearfall of his own. Again Juvi avoids a german suplex, this time with back elbows. Jericho lifts him for a powerbomb but Juvi counters with a DDT! Juvi covers again but only gets 2 ½.
Juvi tries to shake some feeling back into his leg and perches Jericho on the top rope. Juvi climbs to the top and looks for a hurricanrana but Jericho shoves him down. Juvi rolls back to his feet as Jericho leaves the top rope. Jericho lands across Juvi's knee in an inverted atomic drop. Juvi seats Jericho on the top rope and hits a high risk springboard hurricanrana! Juvi sits on Jericho, knowing he'll probably need his whole weight to keep Jericho down. Jericho rolls through but Juvi gets the jackknife cover, but Jericho bridges out at 2 and transitions into an inverted suplex. Jericho eats shit on a Lionsault attempt, Juvi gets a running start for his wheelbarrow, but Jericho throws him down. Jericho attempts a Liontamer but Juvi rolls him up, 1, 2, no! Jericho sends Juvi across the ring and Juvi jumps for a hurricanrana! Jericho gets the Liontamer on the second attempt! Juventud Guerrera taps in the middle of the ring to surrender his mask! Jericho holds on for that extra second until the referee hands him the belt.
WINNER: CHRIS JERICHO (STILL CHAMPION)
This was a good match to put in the middle of the card to keep the crowd invested in the show. Both men got a good chance to shine, and the story of Juvi not using high risk moves until later in the match, then using them more and more as he got more desperate. Using roll ups at every opportunity too. Jericho was more aggressive just to stop Juvi having the mask. He didn't want to lose his championship, since he loved the belt, but he felt better taking something so precious from Juventud Guerrera too. The last 5 seconds were also an amazing snippet of storytelling. – Rating: 5.7/10
Jericho grabs a mic and tells the crowd he really did it. He dedicates the win to his Jerichoholics before telling Juvi to unmask. He insults Juvi as Juvi tells his family he loves them, emotional about losing the match. Jericho says it's taking to long and rips Juvi's mask off. During this Schiovane tried to remind us that the main thing is Juvi losing his mask. Unfortunately it came from him so it doesn't hold much weight. Juvi keeps his head down for a moment and climbs back through the ropes. He embraces having his face show in the corner to the fans' adoration.
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