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Join Date: Jan 2008
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Re: Official WWE DVD Help/Discussion/Review Thread
Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man
Disc 2 Review
WCW Cruiserweight Title/Mask Match: Eddie Guerrero © v Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW Halloween Havoc, 10.26.97)
This is a match that has been given the “best WCW match of the decade” praise, and while I probably wouldn’t agree (I’d put both Wargames matches above it), I’d definitely have it top 5.
The more I watch it, the better it gets, and I’ve gone from an original rating of borderline ****1/2 to a ****3/4 cruiserweight classic.
Both guys are great in this, obviously, but Eddie just strikes me as someone that, despite whatever personal demons he had to deal with a this point, looked like he was having a blast getting people to hate him and his phenomenal performance showed this. He’s an absolute heel GOD in this one, destroying Rey’s back while tearing away at his mask just because he’s a prick and he wants to. Rey, meanwhile, has to pull out everything in his high-flying arsenal to survive Guerrero, who attacks with “such velothity” (Dusty on commentary is always a little different. Another one was “athleticsism”. Good times), and just will not stay down.
This of course gets the temperamental champion all pissed off and shit, causing him to up the bar in terms of inflicting punishment, until he takes it too far and goes up top with Mysterio. Bad move as this is where Rey has proven to be more adept than his opponent, and by using these skills, as well as some good old athleticsism, he counters Eddie’s final attempted “death move”, pulling out the win when it looked as unlikely as ever.
Storytelling, psychology, emotion and amazing moves and spots – it’s all here and it’s ALL awesome. Top 5 for either man’s career; maybe top 3. ****3/4
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Eddie Guerrero © v Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW World War 3, 11.23.97)
The first time I watched this it struck me as being pretty sloppy, but on another watch, aside from 2 botches and 1 sloppy spot (which in fairness would have been incredibly difficult to pull off, even for Mysterio), this was a worthy finale to the Guerrero/Mysterio trilogy of late 1997.
It’s not on the same level as their Halloween Havoc match, let’s get that out the way right now, but one of the reasons it’s so good (at least as an intangible, in my mind) is because it doesn’t try to be. Too often follow up matches (and often, like this one was, the 3rd match in a series) tend to try and outdo that which came before it, and when the original was as strong as Havoc’s was, it ends up being a disappointing contest too “self aware” for it’s own good in that both guys know their first match was awesome, but they’ll still try and top it even though it just won’t work. It happened in the Undertaker/Batista series, it happened in the HBK/HHH series and it’s happened countless other times. Anyway, it didn’t happen here and I realise I just spewed a bunch of shit for the last minute.
So, the psychology is much the same as the Halloween Havoc match, with Eddie attacking the back and Rey using the high-flying offence to keep up, only this time Eddie proves too strong, having Rey scouted and countering the top rope Hurricanrana that beat him originally, picking up the win and the series along with it. ****
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Juventud Guerrera © v Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW Thunder, 1.15.98)
Yeah, so, I love this match. A lot! I wouldn’t rate it as high as I did on my first viewing though as it’s just a little on the short side. That in itself wouldn’t normally hurt the match, but the fact that it needed another few minutes to build more on Mysterio’s comeback did. It just seemed like he was finally getting into the offence when he got the win, although since he did so with a quick thinking, pinning combination, I can’t complain too much.
Aside from that, everything else was great. Juvi was so freakin’ great on offence, helped by the tremendous chemistry both me have together, and lets fly with some awesome offence in a pretty much perfect blend of spots and “smart” work. The fact that he never went after Rey’s already injured knee may seem like a knock on the psychology for some, but Juvi didn’t injure the knee to begin with and it was pretty obvious from the get go that he was intending on picking Mysterio apart, piece by piece (the variation of a Muscle Buster into almost like a neckbreaker was sick and sweet all at the same time). Plus, Juventud Guerrera is legitimately insane so it probably didn’t register with him that going after the leg was the smart thing to do anyway. He really looked great as the champion either way.
The finish didn’t hurt him in the slightest either as it simply made Rey look like the smarter man on the day as he knew that Juvi was dominating, so the lapse in concentration after Juvi’s missed 450 splash attempt was all he needed to nail his patented Hurricanrana for the victory. Superb match that, luckily enough (for us anyway), happened on free TV. ****
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. © v Chris Jericho (WCW Souled Out, 1.24.98)
Not as good as it could have been, but this is certainly due in part to Rey’s legit injured knee (which, in keyfabe, was down to Jericho in the first place).
Like Eddie in the first match of the disc, Jericho is a perfect heel, although dynamically different, and the crowd get on his case big time. He, of course, thrives on this and looks like he’s having fun out there.
The psychology was pretty simple in that the injured Rey would try and stay in the contest whatever his circumstances, but would have to do it without his signature high-flying offence as his knee was too messed up at this point.
That would ultimately be his downfall in the end as Jericho would capitalise on Rey’s injury and catch him in the Liontamer, leaving Rey no choice but to tap out and lose the title he won only 9 days earlier. ***1/4
Winner Gets a Future Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. v Psicosis (WCW Road Wild, 8.8.98)
This disappointed me actually. Both of these guys know each other very well and have great chemistry after years of facing off, and that fit into the story of both having to change it up a bit in order to somehow surprise the opponent. That’s all well and good, but Psicosis just seemed incredibly dull on offence for the most part. He wasn’t terrible by any means, but the only time I, and the live crowd (although the Sturgis crowd pretty much only showed up to these events to rev their bikes), got really into the match was when Rey was in control.
Still though, it’s impossible for them to have a bad match and this wasn’t either. Compared to their previous matches from WCW, ECW and especially AAA in Mexico (where they’ve had arguably 3 or 4 ***** matches), this was lacking. I though so anyway… ***
Rey Mysterio Jr. v Blitzkrieg (WCW Nitro, 2.8.99)
I’m not entirely sure, but I think this was Rey’s last TV appearance with his mask and his penultimate appearance overall with it in WCW.
Either way, this was a pretty great little TV match. It’s not long (about 9 minutes or so), but they do enough in that time to get their story across – that story being that Rey is fast… but the new kid on the block is faster. Blitzkrieg was an awesome spot monkey in his short time in the biz and he gets to show that off here with some great high-risk offence, forcing Rey to change his offence up enough so that he for once can keep up.
Rey obviously has the experience and he’s been in Blitzkrieg’s shoes on many occasions (as in the faster opponent), but that also means he’s also been in enough matches to know how his best opponents have countered that. And that’s what he does here! He manages to ground Blitzkrieg and frustrate him enough that he’ll make a mistake, and when he does, Rey’s there to capitalise.
Great stuff for a sub-10 minute TV match. ***1/4
Rey Mysterio v Chavo Guerrero (WWE Smackdown! 7.25.2002)
While I don’t like the fact that this match is on this set as well as his previous one, I can’t deny that this is pretty fuckin’ fun. As far as introducing Rey as a high-flying maestro to the WWE audience (many of which would never have seen Rey as much of the previous wrestling audience had seemingly turned away during 2001), this was spot on.
I feel like I hold this in higher regard than most as it’s a sentimental favourite of mine (seeing Rey again after WCW folded was a big mark-out moment for me), but I doubt it’ll be OVERRATED~ to most after seeing my rating.
Rey gets his spots in, Chavo hangs with the best, and yeah, it’s all fun. ***
Rey Mysterio v Kurt Angle (WWE Summerslam, 8.25.02)
If I had to sum this up in one word, that word would be fun. This is a freakin’ terrific opener and probably my favourite of all time from the company behind Bret/Owen (I’m not saying it’s the best, by the way, just favourite).
Angle is super over despite being a heel, like he pretty much always would be from here on out until leaving the company, and Rey is always over for being so damn entertaining so the crowd were into this BIG TIME.
Like Rey has had to do many, many times in the past he has to use his speed and athleticism (or athleticsism if you’re Dusty Rhodes) to get ahead, but Kurt Angle’s an Olympic gold freakin’ medallist, so to say it was an uphill battle would be a huge understatement.
Still though, both guys have a tremendously competitive contest where Rey comes out looking a million bucks despite losing to the Olympic Hero.
Kurt Angle has a lot of haters nowadays because he’s too “repetitive” (oh shit, not this again) or because he “bastardised the finishing sequence” and all that shit, but for a guy that headlined the PPV in a triple threat match for the company’s World Title (the company’s ONLY World Title at the time) a month earlier, to take a step back (and a big step at that) to jerking the curtain so he could help get a newcomer over is pretty fucking awesome if you ask me. Maybe he is overrated to some, but he’s sure as hell one of the most selfless I’ve seen in a long time. ***3/4
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Matt Hardy © v Rey Mysterio (WWE Smackdown! 6.5.03)
Remember Matt Hardy Version 1? It’s kinda weird looking back and seeing him as a whiny heel nowadays, but some of those little “facts” that popped up during his entrance were pretty fun; this one said “Matt Hardy is taller than Rey Mysterio!” I found that amusing…
Anyway, this is pretty great. Matt just dwarfs Rey here as the much bigger cruiserweight at 220lbs, and he uses his larger frame to his advantage. He also goes after Rey’s injured leg (Rey with bad knees again? Shocker) as Rey sells it to perfection as well.
Matt still tries to take the cheap way out by having his Version 1 buddies beat on Rey behind the referee’s back, but Rey’s heart is so big that he won’t stay down (there’s an awesome near-fall towards the end where it looks like Rey is all but dead in the water, but manages to kick out of Matt’s guillotine legdrop) and eventually manages to roll Hardy up for the 3, winning his first Cruiserweight Title in the ‘E.
Just as a pointless side note; I marked when Michael Cole mentioned Jushin Liger and the Great Sasuke as 2 of the best cruisers ever. Most non-puro fans wouldn’t though, so meh. ***1/4
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Tajiri © v Rey Mysterio (WWE Smackdown! 1.1.04)
Awe-fucking-some! I seriously loved this match, even on a second viewing, and it’s easily up there as one of Tajiri’s best in the company (although, in fairness, he had to tone his style down quite a bit for the mainstream WWE audience).
I love the simple yet effective story they tell, with Tajiri going after Rey’s leg in order to keep him grounded (and also because it’s well documented as one of Rey’s definite weak points), as most of Rey’s opponents had started to do, but also because it easily allows Tajiri to literally *kick* the shit out of Rey since he won’t be flying around the place.
Rey also has to deal with Akio and Sakoda outside the ring – both of whom interfere on a couple of occasions – stacking the deck in Tajiri’s favour even more.
The in-ring action is great as well with some awesome counter sequences, all at a slick pace and performed with fantastic execution.
It really doesn’t get much better as far as free TV goes and while some may feel I’m overrating it (except Clique), I wouldn’t say so at all. ***3/4
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio © v Chavo Guerrero (WWE Great American Bash, 6.27.04)
Uh, holy shit! I fucking LOVED this. For me, this is definitely the best Cruiserweight Title match that WWE put out, and maybe the best WWE cruiserweight match period (I mean post Invasion angle when the Light Heavy and Cruiser Titles became unified).
Now I’m probably going to go on about this match more than most would, but I’m also pretty sure I’ll have it rated higher than most as well so I want to explain the rating as best I can.
First of all, the pacing of this strikes me damn near flawless. See, the crowd are pretty much dead to begin with (although after having to sit through what had preceded this match on the PPV it’s understandable), but as the match goes on they get slowly more into it, and by the end they are HOT. They pop huge for the near-falls, the spots and even a single leg crab! How often do you hear WWE crowds pop for a single leg freakin’ crab?!
That brings me to my next point (or points, rather) – Chavo’s leg work and Mysterio’s subsequent selling of it. Both were so smartly and effectively done it’s amazing. Now naturally one would assume that attacking Rey’s leg would be the smart thing to do, but from the beginning of the match it was all Rey as he went after Chavo’s arm (cancelling out the strength difference), and only by accident did Rey hurt his leg on the apron. Chavo noticed this and focused on it, making him look like a smart veteran that would sure as hell take advantage (getting some nice heat in the process).
His leg work, like I said, was superb. He didn’t get all flashy and bust out a ton of fancy submissions, but rather took a page out of the Bret Hart “I see a body part and I’m going to destroy it with stuff that hurts” playbook. In turn, Rey sells it to perfection, doing so in a way that it reflects the level of work Chavo puts in on it (like if Chavo kicks it a couple time, he’ll try and shake some feeling back into it, but if he’s just been in a Stretch Muffler submission manoeuvre for 2 minutes, he’ll basically hobble for the next 5 and make it look as if he can barely stand on it). It was fucking beautiful!
Anyway, I could write a ton more about why I loved this, but I’m going to stop and just say that I recommend this bad boy to anybody that thinks the cruiserweight division was simply filler. If this had happened at say, Summerslam, then I guarantee it would have been given a shit load more praise. As it is, it happened at one of the worst pay-per-views of all time, meaning that it’s overshadowed, sadly, by that fact alone.
Still though, two great workers in the style were given the right amount of time to shine (and steal the show, but again, it is this show, so yeah) and prove that the division could have been something, should have been something, and that “killing” Paul Bearer by drowning him in fucking cement isn’t the way to entertain a crowd.
The last glimmer of hope for a division that once was fantastic in another land… fitting, I guess, that it’s one of the best performances from both men. ****1/4
Overall
What can I say? 5 ****+ matches (one of which some would call *****) and a bunch of other highly entertaining stuff, with nothing dropping below ***, should be enough reason on its own to buy this set… lucky there are 2 other discs filled with awesomeness. For disc 2 though? Can’t recommend it enough! 9.5/10
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Gyrating hips > whatever YOU like!~
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Official WWE DVD Help/Discussion/Review Thread
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