Rey Mysterio Jr won the Championship by beating Malenko on 8th July edition of Nitro. Dusty Rhodes Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Tony Schiovane are on commentary for this match along with Mike Tenay. Dean Malenko enters first and the former WCW Cruiserweight Champion puts the mask he stole from Mysterio on top of one of the ring posts. Rey enters and even at this point in his career, you can tell how popular he is with the fans.
Rey Mysterio Jr won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship by beating Malenko on 8th July edition of Nitro. Dusty Rhodes Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Tony Schiovane are on commentary for this match along with Mike Tenay. Dean Malenko enters first and the former champion puts the mask he stole from Mysterio on top of one of the ring posts. Rey enters and even at this point in his career, you can tell how popular he is with the fans.
REY MYSTERIO JR ©VS. DEAN MALENKO (WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
WCW Halloween Havoc (27th October 1996)
© World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.
Dean Malenko attacks Rey in the corner from the bell before bringing him to the middle of the ring for a rough looking high-angle back suplex. Rey hit the ground pretty hard there, Malenko covers him for a very quick nearfall. Dean Malenko slams Rey to the mat for a delayed standing spinebuster and tries to lock in the Cloverleaf early, but Rey kicks him off before shaking off the cobwebs. Malenko keeps up the beat down and grabs a wristlock on Mysterio as Mike Tenay talks about the history of the mask in Lucha Libre. Malenko stole Mysterio's mask 8th September edition of Nitro, and that really made this feud personal. Rey counters the wristlock and takes Malenko down, immediately covering but only getting a 1 count. Mysterio avoids Malenko sweeping his ankles but can't avoid a back elbow to the gut. Mysterio lands on his feet from a snapmare, deciding to pick up some speed. He jumps over a prone Malenko before being caught on an Asai moonsault attempt. Malenko carries Mysterio around but is sent into the corner. Rey leaps onto Malenko's shoulders, but Malenko uses his strength to flip Rey back, cat-like Mysterio lands on his feet and catches a charging Malenko with a drop toe hold. Rey ends up on Malenko's shoulders in an aeroplane position, which Schiovane calls like a crucifix. To be fair I have no idea but it results in Malenko getting arm dragged so he decides to exit the ring to think about life.
Rey swings through the ropes with a Tiger feint kick (named from Tiger Mask over in Japan.) which Malenko steps back to avoid. Rey soaks in the crowd's adoration as Malenko makes it back to the apron. Malenko blocks a right hand and hits one of his own, before sending the champ's head into the top turnbuckle. Malenko takes some time looking at the mask he stole from Rey, so Rey hits him with a running dropkick knocking him back to the floor and following with a running somersault senton over the top rope, retrieving the mask. Rey celebrates in the ring as the fans are doing the exact same from the crowd. This is not a match you'd want on if you're using surround sound and you want if you value your ear health. Rey switches masks as Heenan mentions it's the mask he won when he won the title. Malenko gets back in the ring and Rey goes after him with right hands in the corner. Rey mounts the middle rope and hits Malenko with forearms as the fans count along. Malenko shoves him away at eight. Rey runs back at Malenko, rolling him up from a headscissors for a nearfall.
Rey shoves Malenko into the corner, hitting a chop. Dean Malenko reverses an irish whip but Mysterio catches himself on the top rope, an attempt at a headscissors is countered into a sidewalk slam by Malenko. Malenko picks Mysterio up for a suplex and throws him onto the top rope as Tenay goes through the history of this feud in WCW. Mysterio's knee hit the top rope, and Brain explains that it's not standard rope. It's steel cables lying beneath all that. Malenko smells blood and slams Rey in the middle of the ring before locking in a half boston crab. Mysterio refuses to give in so Malenko traps his arm. Malenko sits back and forces his boot into Rey's lower back but that still doesn't break Rey Mysterio Jr. Malenko releases the hold and Rey crawls to the corner looking for refuge, but he doesn't find it as Malenko drags him to his feet by his tights and sits him on the top rope for a back superplex. Schiovane notes that the impact of that made Malenko slow to cover, he only gets 2.
Dean Malenko brings Rey to his feet, sharply taking him back down for a figure four necklock on the mat. Malenko rolls over to get his weight over Mysterio, but the champion's able to use the momentum to get to the bottom rope. He slowly tries to crawl out of the ring but Malenko drags him back and brings him back to his feet for a brainbuster giving Malenko a nearfall. Malenko brings Mysterio back to his feet and lifts him overhead as Schiovane talks about other big events in the arena for some reason, Rey tries to roll Malenko up with a sunset flip but can't get him down. He hits him with a suspiciously low right to the midsection and catches Malenko in an inside cradle for a nearfall. Rey slams the mat in frustration but Malenko's already on his feet and he hits Rey with a dropkick to the back. Malenko hits a backbreaker and stretches Rey over his back. Rey doesn't give up so Malenko shoves him to the mat and stretches on his chin, then transitions into a camel clutch. Rey gets his arms free, and Malenko slams him down in frustration. He sends Rey off the ropes and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for another nearfall.
Rey tries to roll him out of the ring but Malenko beats him to ringside, sending him back first into the side of the ring apron before sending him back in the ring. Rey crawls across the ring and tries to get out of the other side but Malenko brings him back in and snapmares him over. Malenko hits a knee drop and sends Rey across the ring, catching him in a sleeperhold. Malenko drops to the mat and applies a bodyscissors. Rey starts to fade so the referee checks his arm, but he shows life on the third drop. Rey elbows at Malenko's ribs, and Malenko releases the bodyscissors allowing Rey to get to his feet. Now it's more like a standing chinlock, Mysterio elbows Malenko in the ribs so Malenko slams him to the mat to keep control. Malenko brings Rey to his feet for another sleeper hold and they both fall to the mat. Again Mysterio fights the third arm drop and he grabs at Malenko's face. They get back to a standing chinlock and Rey elbows his way out. Rey runs off the ropes but Malenko chases him, catching him with a knee to the gut as he comes back off the ropes and turning him inside out. Malenko brings Rey to his feet with a T-Bone suplex, with Rey's hurt arm trapped behind his back for a close nearfall.
Malenko stretches Rey's shoulders and upper back out on the mat and rolls him up. Rey is able to keep one shoulder up for a while but Malenko does get a one count. Maalenko keeps stretching Rey's shoulders out on the mat before trying a different tactic by taking Rey to the corner and hitting him with a pair of forearms.
Rey reverses an irish whip but Malenko is able to vault the top rope and land on the apron. Rey does the same the other side of the turnbuckle and they both climb the ropes. They meet at the top and exchange right hands, but it results in both of them falling to the floor! Heenan predicts a double count-out and mentions Mysterio's championship advantage. They both get to their feet at ringside, and Mysterio reverses an irish whip sending Malenko into the guardrail. Rey jumps onto the guardrail but loses his balance landing in the front row. This results in a piggyback from Malenko with Rey hitting his head with right hands before dropping to the floor. Malenko holds onto the ring post to stop Rey being able to whip him into the rail again before Malenko kicks Rey in the gut and sends him back in the ring.
Mysterio is sent off the ropes and counters a tilt-a-whirl into a cover for 2. Malenko hits Mysterio in the gut with a knee and sends him off the ropes, not learning from last time. Rey goes out to the apron and shoulder barges Malenko in the gut when he follows. Rey hits a springboard somersault senton but doesn't have the energy to cover straight away. Rey gets second wind though and rolls Malenko up for a nearfall. Mysterio stays on Malenko with strikes as he gets to his feet and springboards off the ropes onto Malenko's shoulders, again Malenko is able to fling Mysterio off but Rey lands on his feet. There's a nice chain wrestling sequence which ends in Rey getting a nearfall. Malenko hits a much less technical lariat and delayed vertical suplex in the middle of the ring for a nearfall. Malenko sends Rey across the ring but can't catch him and the momentum sends Malenko out to the floor. Rey climbs out to the apron and hits a springboard somersault senton on Malenko!
Both men are down, and it takes until 5 for Malenko to be back in the ring. Mysterio isn't far behind and he tries to send Malenko off the ropes. Malenko reverses it but Rey jumps onto his shoulders hitting him with a hurricanrana! Rey hooks the legs, 1, 2, 2.9. Malenko kicked out at the last second. Rey Mysterio goes out to the apron and salutes to the crowd as Malenko gets to his feet. Malenko catches Mysterio mid-air and slams him down with a sitout powerbomb for a close nearfall of his own. Rey sends Malenko corner to corner. Malenko sends him overhead but Rey lands on the apron. Malenko runs into a shoulder block but Rey's climbing the ropes so Malenko gets a right hand in. Malenko climbs up to meet Rey but Rey knees him in the side of the head. He's in the perfect position for a supper hurricanrana! Malenko again shoves Rey off, but Mysterio lands on his feet. Rey jumps onto the middle rope but Malenko catches him with clubbing blows to the back and hits a gutwrench powerbomb off the top rope to win the championship back!
WINNER: DEAN MALENKO (NEW WCW Cruiserweight Champion)
AFTERMATH
Mike Tenay said it on commentary at the beginning “what a way to kick off Halloween Havoc” this match was amazing. Dean Malenko's mat style makes him an excellent heel and he showed that in this match. It didn't hurt that he was against one of the best babyfaces he could work with either. This match built to an amazing peak and they went for an early show stealer here. The leg work seemed to vanish and not matter after the first part of the match though, with Rey hitting some of his big high flying moves right at the end with no difficulty. Rey slipping from the guard rail also caused a slightly awkward moment but human error can't be helped and they recovered from it quickly. I did like the added layer of Rey winning and losing the title in the saame mask though and both men were able to come out of the match looking better for it. – WORKRATE: 3/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 3.5/5 OVERALL 6.5/10
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