EDDIE GUERRERO © VS. REY MYSTERIO JR.
( WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP VS. MASK)
WCW Halloween Havoc (October 1997)
I looked at the latest posts and decided, if you'll forgive the oxymoron, to go back to mainstream wrestling, soooo back to WCW. We'll start with one of WCW's best matches of 1997, if not the best. Definitely, one featuring two of the best of their kind, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. There's even an action figure double set based on this match!
This match is available on Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man DVD.
“The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes , Tony Schiovane, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Mike Tenay on commentary for this match.
Rey Mysterio Jr. enters the match first, uncharacteristically making minimal interaction with the crowd because of the high stakes in this match. Eddie slowly makes his way to the ring, holding his championship over his shoulder. Rey gives a spare mask he had around his neck to a kid in the crowd. Mike Tenay mentions WCW have a Lucha Libre documentury.
Eddie tells Rey in the middle of the ring that he's gonna win the match, but misses a wild right hand. Rey grabs a quick side headlock but Eddie shoves him off the ropes with ease. Rey springboards back with a moonsault off the middle rope into an arm drag. Rey leapfrogs Eddie then drops to the mat and flips him over. Rey sends both men to the floor with a running cross body press over the top rope. Rey caught himself and got back in the ring, he gets some speed and flips over to the apron, but Guerrero trips him, bringing him down to the floor. Eddie stomps on Rey and sends him into the ring steps, taking his time getting him back into the ring. I wonder if Rey's mask is treated like a championship on count out and disqualifications? Eddie comes back in with a Tope con Hilo before pandering to the crowd.
Rey Mysterio's slowly getting to his feet but Guerrero hits him with a chop, sending him against the ropes. Rey rebounds into a European uppercut knocking him down. “Eddie sucks” chants have been scattered throughout the match so far. Rey reverses an irish whip and cartwheels into a bulldog, but Eddie catches him with a back suplex! Eddie brings Mysterio to his feet and hits him with a delayed brainbuster for a nearfall. Tenay mentions it's the 9th time Rey Mysterio Jr. has put his mask on the line. Eddie sends Rey across the ring again for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and another nearfall. Tenay mentions that Rey Mysterio Jr. is 2-0 up on Guerrero on Nitro and still the underdog. Because even in the decent parts of WCW, wins and losses don't matter! Eddie tears at Rey's mask because he's pissed off at Tenay's implications that he can't beat an underdog. Making him shit. Even though Tenay says Guerrero could win any match he's in immediately after. Also he could just be doing it because he is the heel in the match.
Eddie grabs at Rey's bodysuit, bringing him to his feet. His mask is connected to his body suit. Guerrero rips at Rey's mask again as Heenan says he'll have to rip it all off for some reason. Tenay goes back to the importance of the mask in Lucha Libre, saying besides some occasions like Konnan's case, an unmasking can end a luchadore's career. Rey almost breaks the abdominal stretch so Eddie drops him with a backbreaker. Eddie tries to use his weight advantage to force Rey's shoulders down for a series of nearfalls. Rey able to make it to his feet and he springboards off the top rope, backflipping into a DDT! I haven't heard Dusty's voice in a while, one disadvantage of having 4 guys to commentate one match. Rey sends Eddie outside with a running dropkick, Rey springboards off the middle rope but sees Eddie return to the ring so he catches himself on the apron. Eddie hits a standing dropkick sending Rey to the floor.
Guerrero follows him out as Heenan says Guerrero is getting frustrated, Schiovane says you have to expect this resiliency from Rey Mysterio Jr. as Eddie sends Rey Rey into the guard rail and gets him back in the ring. Rey tries to crawl away but Eddie applies the camel clutch. Eddie rips Rey's mask some more, and his eye holes are almost torn to one, Eddie stops at the mask and applies the hold tighter. Eddie releases it and applies the Gory Special, but Rey able to arm drag out of it. Tenay mentions Guerrero's time as Black Tiger in Japan and he wrestled under a mask in Mexico, but voluntarily removed it, disrespecting the mask. Eddie gets Rey down and dropkicks the back of Rey's head. Eddie hits an Argentinian backbreaker and locks in a modified bow and arrow lock, stretching Rey out. Rey doesn't give in so Eddie brings him to his feet and sends him across the ring. Eddie hits a running back elbow and covers Rey, but puts his foot on the ropes in front of the referee, stopping the count.
Eddie brings Rey to his feet using his mask and sends him into the top turnbuckle. Eddie hits Rey with a European uppercut and a chop, but Rey blocks the right hand and fights back. Rey takes it to Guerrero in the corner. Eddie reverses an irish whip and Rey gets caught in the tree of woe, Eddie smirks to the camera and strolls acrosss the ring. Guerrero charges at Rey with a sliding dropkick, but Rey SAT UP! Eddie hits the ring post in the worse way and goes out the ring for a time-out. Rey is getting himself comfortable on the top rope and he flies down at Guerrero with a plancha! Eddie gets knocked back into the guard rail, Rey's slow to get to his feet after that high-risk move but connects with a chop before sending Eddie back in the ring. Eddie reverses an irish whip but Mysterio lands on his feet countering the tilt-a-whirl. Hurricanrana by Rey! 1! 2! No! Eddie knocks Rey down with a desperate lariat. Eddie takes his time getting Rey to his feet, and sends him across the ring. Rey springboards back but Eddie sees and ducks, Rey gets a headscissors and grabs the top rope, sending Eddie over to the floor.
Rey takes a breather on the apron before diving over the top somersaulting into a hurricanrana on the floor! Eddie's head collided with the guard rail. Rey gets Eddie back in the ring and climbs to the top rope. Rey hits a corkscrew moonsault and slowly covers but only gets a nearfall. Rey slams Eddie but the sit-down moonsault eats knees. Eddie powerbombs Rey and folds him up for the cover, but still only gets 2. Rhodes says now Guerrero's getting frustrated. The crowd add to this by chanting that he sucks again as he dumps Rey in the corner. Eddie charges but Rey sends him into the top turnbuckle! Rey calls for the springboard hurricanrana but Eddie catches him in the backbreaker! Guerrero calls for the frogsplash and climbs to the top. Mysterio avoids the frog splash but Eddie rolls out of it. Eddie tries to send Rey into the turnbuckles but Rey lands on the top rope! Eddie trips his ankle, crotching him. Eddie climbs up for a back superplex but Rey fights him off with elbows. Eddie grabs Rey for a crucifix powerbomb off the second rope. REY REVERSED IT! HURRICANRANA! PIN! NEW CHAMPION!
WINNER: REY MYSTERIO JR. (NEW WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION)
This match was fast paced from start to finish. They knew when to go outside to speed the match up, and when to go out to give it a reason to slow down again. Eddie dominated Rey for a majority of the match, with Rey Mysterio getting enough offense in to make you believe he could still pull it off. That finishing sequence still amazes me and makes me remember why I love this sport. – Rating: 8.9/10
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