WWE Vintage Collection Report: 19th July 2009
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

Welcome aboard. Before we begin, a big thank you goes out to reader ‘Bishop 27c’ for his assistance in the Flyin’ Brian theme last week. Great stuff mate. Onto today, and five more Cruiserweight classics await us featuring Jeff Hardy, Owen Hart, Chris Jericho, Billy Kidman, Juventud Guerrera and Dean Malenko. Sounds good doesn’t it? Let’s begin.

Smackdown – March 2nd 2000
WWF Light Heavyweight Title
Essa Rios w/Lita vs Jeff Hardy w/Matt Hardy
Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler are calling the action. Having worked previous WWF stints as Aguila and Papi Chulo, Rios was a few weeks removed from winning the title from Gillberg, aka Duane Gill on Heat. Lita was unique in a way that she would replicate all of her protege’s high spots. Meanwhile, the Hardys were getting over a double-cross from Terri Runnels and were gearing up for their first WrestleMania ladder match with Edge, Christian and the Dudleys. Back to the match at hand. Both start by blocking hiptoss attempts. Jeff lands a clothesline. Rios avoids a springboard moonsault, but can’t stop a pescado. Rios whips Jeff upside down, dropkicks, but Jeff sits up to avoid a baseball slide. Jeff leaps at Rios but hits the guardrail. Rios hits a somersault plancha over the ringpost. Back inside, Rios hits a top rope missile dropkick to the back of the head, then turns a handspring backflip off the ropes into a rollup. Jeff eats a clothesline but manages to drop toehold Rios into the corner. Jeff floats over a charge and dropkicks. Rios sends Jeff outside following a top rope hurricanrana. Lita replicates the move on the floor, before tossing Jeff back in. Jeff avoids an aerial dive, Rios lands on his feet and Jeff catches Lita attempting a slap. Matt jumps in behind the referee’s back to give Rios a twist of fate, allowing Jeff to nail the swanton. Lita wipes Jeff out with a top rope moonsault to cause the DQ. The Hardys leave and Rios berates Lita in spanish, causing the fiery red head to slap him. Rios soon dumped the title to Dean Malenko, hit on one of Godfather’s Hos and Lita cost him matches, before aligning herself with the Hardys. Rios floated around, but unable to speak English, he was soon released and went to TNA for a brief run as Mr Aguila. Rios now works the indies. Winner by DQ: JEFF HARDY.

Monday Nitro – September 14th 1998
WCW Cruiserweight Title
Juventud Guerrera vs Billy Kidman
Before the bout begins, we see Kidman break away from Raven’s Flock at the request of Saturn. Kidman was a grunge type lackey who had just helped Saturn beat Raven. Kidman declines Raven’s offer to hop the guardrail and rejoin him as Saturn tells him he’s free and has the talent to win the Cruiserweight Title. We join the match in progress. Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko are joined by Mike Tenay in the booth. Kidman holds a chinlock. Juvi comes back with a hurricanrana and a flying bodypresss taking both men to the floor. Kidman resumes control with a dropkick, slam, springboard legdrop and another chinlock. Kidman catches a baseball slide attempt, Juvi lands on his feet from a german suplex attempt, but gets caught in a sitdown powerbomb. Kidman reverses a bulldog with a back suplex. The crowd come alive during Kidman’s nearfalls. Kidman keeps the advantage until Juvi blocks Kidman to hit a release german suplex, followed by a top rope hurricanrana. Kidman misses a charge, but quickly slips out of a Juvi driver attempt, to hit a dragon sleeper/suplex combo. Juvi crotches Kidman up top and lands a Frankensteiner. Kidman catches a leaping Juvi in a powerbomb, then finishes with a shooting star press. 1-2-3. New champion. The crowd finally accept Kidman. Juvi applauds, as does Saturn. Winner: BILLY KIDMAN.

Saturday Night’s Main Event – March 11th 1989
Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase w/Virgil vs The Blue Blazer
Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are calling the action. In the final big stop before WrestleMania V, DiBiase was debuting his Million Dollar Title. DiBiase levels Blazer with a clothesline after he enters with a customary backflip from the top rope. DiBiase follows up with a backelbow, slam and several elbow drops. Blazer comes back with a small package and backslide. DiBiase rakes the face to regain control, landing another clothesline, double axehandle from the second rope and suplex. DiBiase gets cocky, taunting the crowd after every move. Blazer uses his speed to retaliate. After countering a backbodydrop by landing on his feet, Blazer sends DiBiase to the floor with a dropkick. Blazer flies through the ropes hitting DiBiase with a picture perfect cross body. Blazer punches away on DiBiase’s head. Blazer ducks a swing and atomic drops DiBiase into the ringsteps. Back inside, Ventura is worried that DiBiase may lose his Million Dollar Title, as Blazer nearly wins it with a top rope cross body. DiBiase begs off, before being sent into a backbodydrop. Blazer hits a couple of dropkicks and uppercuts, before DiBiase turns a cross body into a powerslam, hooking the legs for the 1-2-3. The ending was abrupt, but this was a great five minute match. A few more minutes and it would have been even better. Despite Blazer being low on the totem pole, DiBiase made him look a real threat. Winner: MILLION DOLLAR MAN TED DIBIASE.

WCW Slamboree – May 17th 1998
15 Man Cruiserweight Battle Royal
The winner of this Battle Royal would receive a Cruiserweight title match with Jericho immediately afterwards. Jericho announces each participant (many of them Mexicans) from the ramp in a humorous, but less than flattering way. Take it away Jericho:

Super Calo: “His hat never comes off, he’s the master of da funk and has a one in ten chance of winning.”
Chavo Guerrero Jnr: “He used to be a great bartender but this hasn’t translated to his wrestling skills. A two in ten chance of winning.”
Ciclope: “A rags to riches story, selling chimichangas in the street to WCW.”
Damian 666: “He can’t afford a mask, so he uses paint.”
El Dandy: “Winner of the Lou Ferrigno lookalike contest.”
El Grillo: “World welterlight featherweight peso champion.”
Juventud Guerrera: “The ugliest man in the sport today, the illustrious quasijuice.”
Marty Jannetty: “A champion in many countries, who likes to rock rock till he drops, rock rock never stops.”
Billy Kidman: “A lost and lonely soul who can borrow some camomile lotion after the show.”
Evan Karagias: “A true shooter with zero chance.”
Lenny Lane: “I want my Loverboy tapes back.”
Psicosis: “Has a lot of hubcaps and can courier one for you.”
Silver King: “If he wins twelve more matches he will be upgraded to the golden king.”
Johnny Swinger: “Johnny Singer? Johnny Swinger? I haven’t heard of him. Zero in ten chance of winning.”
Villano IV: “Representing Villanos 1-62.”

Jericho says none of these will ever beat him for his belt, as he retires to the back to watch the match with a cup of coffee. Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan call the match. Schiavone informs us that elimination occurs via pinfall or being thrown out of the ring in any way. Heenan praises Jericho’s ring introductions, until Schiavone reminds him Jericho could take his job, and Heenan changes his tune. Kidman punches Karagias off the apron, before Chavo backbodydrops Swinger out. Heenan says size doesn’t matter in a Battle Royal. It’s about using your head. Heenan then tells a story of how he won a Battle Royal in Chicago by hiding under the ring and kicking the last guy out. Juvi dropkicks Calo out from the top rope. The action is clipped and we rejoin things with Grillo and Silver King missing. Dandy sends Jannetty packing, while Damian uses his feet to kick Villano out. Lane poses on the top rope, so Kidman throws Juvi into him to send him to the floor. Damian walks the top rope until Psicosis crotches him and Juvi eliminates him with a springboard dropkick. Chavo perches Dandy on the ropes and eliminates him after two dropkicks. The last five in are: Ciclope, Chavo, Juvi, Kidman and Psicosis. Kidman pulls the ropes down to send a charging Chavo out, then Psicosis inexplicably eliminates himself by tripping over the top rope attempting a high risk move. Juvi uses a headscissors to hook Kidman out. Juvi circles Ciclope, shakes his hand, then takes a dive to the floor. Jericho rushes the ring but is stopped dead in his tracks, when Ciclope unmasks to reveal himself as….Dean Malenko. The Iceman has returned after a several month absence, which Jericho has spent ridiculing Malenko, his family and deceased father Boris. The crowd pop big time, and this is a feud which Jericho raves about in his book. The shit is now on.

WCW Cruiserweight Title
Chris Jericho vs Dean Malenko
Malenko works the match in Ciclope’s orange suit. Juvi has stayed at ringside to act as cheerleader for Malenko. Malenko beats away on Jericho with a flurry of fists, before stomping a mudhole. Malenko follows with a backbodydrop and dropkick. Malenko counters a suplex with a leg lariat which sends Jericho to the floor. Malenko is struggling to wrestle in the orange suit as the kick only just connected. Malenko attacks Jericho on the floor sending him into the guardrail. Jericho catches Malenko coming back in with kicks. Malenko takes in the crowd as Jericho begs off in the corner. The tide turns when Jericho hotshots Malenko across the top rope. A dishevelled Jericho hits a running senton and low dropkick to the back of the head. After commercials, Jericho hits a delayed suplex and lionsault, but can’t put Malenko away. After a brief Jericho chinlock, Malenko counters a pumphandle, but he can’t escape a double underhook into a backbreaker. Malenko hooks an ankle to counter the walls of Jericho, but Jericho is too close to the ropes. Jericho trips Malenko from the outside, then hits a top rope spinning backelbow. 1-2-no. Crowd chant Jericho sucks as the two duke it out. Jericho perches Malenko up top, but Malenko counters with a gutbuster. A texas cloverleaf later, Jericho has submitted and Malenko is the new champion. Malenko pays homeage to his late father as the crowd cheer. Winner: DEAN MALENKO.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and our Cruiserweight fun ends next week. Which matches would you like to see? Email me your thoughts. Shaun.

Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.