Welcome to the first Gem of the Week. I’ll use this space each week to highlight a match that, for whatever reason, I feel doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. For the first one, I’ve selected a personal favorite of mine that isn’t remembered much because it happened in WCW in the early 1990s, when not many people were watching and even fewer people have much memory of. This is from the 1992 edition of SuperBrawl: Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. “Flyin’” Brian Pillman for the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship. These two legends clashed in a match that was years ahead of its time and set the standard for American juniors for years to come.
WCW Light Heavyweight Championship: Jushin Liger (c) vs. Brian Pillman
Alright, that’s a good way to start a show. Nice pops for both guys. The crowd is definitely anticipating this one. They both fly around the ring to start with neither getting an advantage. Pillman applies an Armbar. Pillman gets shot to the corner, but slings and hits a Headscissor. Liger rolls to the floor and gets hit with a Baseball Slide. Liger takes down Pillman and gets a Toe Hold. Pillman escapes and shoots Liger to the corner, but he jumps up top and hits a Moonsault! Pillman gets a Snapmare and applies a modified Abdominal Stretch. He transitions into a Headscissor.
Liger frees himself and tries for the Surfboard, but Liger gets out. Liger sends Pillman to the corner and hits a Dropkick. Pillman gets a Crucifix for a two count. Liger gets a Sunset Flip for two. Big Back Suplex by Pillman. Another two count. Pillman misses a charge and Liger works on the knee. Liger locks on a Figure Four! I guess he’s allowed to do that since Flair is in the WWF at this point. Pillman fights and manages to turn it over, but Liger rolls them over again. They get to the ropes. Liger zeroes in on the knee. Pillman nails an Enziguri, but his leg is too hurt to get up. He charges Liger, but gets Backdropped to the floor. Liger comes off the top rope with a Somersault Splash to the floor! Wow.
Pillman limps to the ring apron. They fight over Suplex attempts until Pillman slams Liger’s head into the turnbuckle. He comes off the top with a Springboard Clothesline! Pillman goes to the apron and Suplexes Pillman over the top to the floor! Ventura puts this over as one of the greatest matches he’s ever seen, and he’s not lying. Pillman hits a Plancha to the floor. Pillman tries a dive from the apron, but ends up impaling himself on the guardrail. Back in the ring, Pillman hits a picture perfect Dropkick. He goes to the top and he goes for a Missile Dropkick. Liger tries a Dropkick of his own, and they both hit. Both men down. They make their way up and Pillman gets a Powerslam. German Suplex by Liger for a very close nearfall. Liger takes Pillman up to the top rope, but Pillman counters the Superplex attempt and drops him on his face.
Pillman hits a Crossbody for another close nearfall. This 1992 crowd has never seen a match anything like this. Pillman sends Liger into the ropes and telegraphs a Backdrop. Liger counters with a Powerbomb! That gets another two count. Liger tries another Powerbomb, but Pillman counters with a pinning combination that I can’t even begin to describe. That gets two. Liger telegraphs a Backdrop and gets DDTed. Liger grabs the rope to break up the pin. They run the ropes and do a Double KO. Pillman rolls to the apron and goes up top. Liger crotches him.
Liger Superplexes Pillman for another two count. Wow. Liger goes to the top and misses a Splash. Pillman takes advantage and cradles him for the pin at 16:57.
Analysis: *****. Holy shit. That’s the best opening match I’ve ever seen. This is a match years ahead of its time. How many Americans had ever seen that kind of action at this point? They just went all out. Non-stop action for 17 minutes. Not really a story beyond both guys putting everything they had into it to try to get the win. The crowd showed great respect for both guys and were totally won over by the end of the match. In a few years, Rey Mysterio and company would be putting on similar matches routinely, but this was years ahead of its time. There’s a reason they picked these two guys to wrestle the first match in Nitro history a few years after this.
As I mentioned, these two would have a more famous match on September 4, 1995 at the first WCW Monday Nitro. Surely, the bookers remembered this match and knew that these two would deliver on the big stage.
The Law Presents: Suplex City 