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WWE Vintage Collection TV Report
July 5, 2009
Aired in the U.K. on Sky Sports
Report by Cody Endres, PWTorch contributor
WWE's Vintage Collection show airs in the U.K. and is hosted by Mean Gene Okerlund. They show a varied assortment of older matches every week, similar to WWE's "Classics On Demand" pay subscription service.
-Mean Gene Okerlund opens the show with the WWE Cruiserweight Title sitting on the table in front of him. Over the next several weeks we will take a look back at some of the best cruiserweight action from the WWE and, for the first time ever on Vintage Collection, WCW. This has the potential to be an awesome few weeks. Okerlund brings up the names of Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, and Eddie Guerrero. One of the first men to bring this new brand of aerial offense to North America was Tiger Mask.
1 – TIGER MASK vs. MR. SAITO
This match is from the December 7, 1982 edition of Championship Wrestling. At this time, Tiger Mask was still being played by Satoru Sayama. Tiger Mask does some acrobats to escape a wristlock and the crowd applauds. Saito rams Tiger Mask into the turnbuckle a few times. Saito whips Tiger Mask to the other corner and runs after him. Tiger Mask climbs the turnbuckles, moonsaults over Saito, lands on his feet, and hits Saito with a spinning back kick. Saito tosses Tiger Mask to the floor. Moments later, Tiger Mask leaps over the top rope and takes out Saito on the floor. Fans are giving Tiger Mask a standing ovation. Back in the ring, Saito connects with a side Saito suplex for a nearfall. Tiger Mask attempts a body press off the second rope, but Saito ducks out of the way. Tiger Mask leaps off the second rope again with a sunset flip and scores the pin.
WINNER: Tiger Mask at 3:24 of what aired. Some amazing offense for 1982. The crowd obviously loved it.
[Commercial Break]
-A video aired hyping the Night of Champions PPV.
-Okerlund said that by 1997 the cruiserweight division in WCW was really heating up with the likes of Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio stealing nearly every show. The cruiserweight title had become one of the most prestigious titles in the world. Our next match is a culture clash as lucha libre superstar Psicosis takes on puroresu superstar Ultimo Dragon to determine who would get one step closer to a championship opportunity.
2 – ULTIMO DRAGON (w/Sonny Onoo) vs. PSICOSIS
This match is from the WCW Uncensored PPV held on March 16, 1997 in North Charleston, S.C. We join the action with Ultimo Dragon in control with a leglock submission. Psicosis slips out and hits a dropkick for a nearfall. Dragon does a headstand on the turnbuckle. On commentary, Dusty Rhodes said he tried that once and it's hard to do. Dragon connects with an enziguri. Sonny Onoo applauds his man at ringside. Whatever happened to Sonny Onoo? Mike Tenay mentions the hectic travel schedule of Dragon working for WCW and down in Mexico. Bobby Heenan claims that Dragon is scared to death of flying and travels by rickshaw to Mexico. Both men exchange camel clutch submissions. Psicosis gives Dragon a bodyslam and nails him with a nasty looking guillotine legdrop off the top rope for a nearfall. Tenay says that Psicosis trained with Rey Mysterio in Tijuana. Rhodes says he trained in Tijuana a few times himself. Psicosis with an elbow drop off the second rope for another nearfall. Dragon catches Psicosis off the ropes with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Dragon locks in a sleeper hold, but Psicosis escapes. Psicosis with a spinning heel kick off the top rope. Dragon rolls to the outside. Psicosis connects with a suicide dive to the floor. Psicosis drags Dragon closer to the ring. Psicosis with a springboard legdrop to the outside. That didn't look good. Dragon regains control and sends Psicosis into the guardrail. Dragon follows up with his running handspring elbow against the guardrail. Dragon hits his Asai moonsault. With Dragon distracting the ref in the ring, Onoo lays into Psicosis with some kicks.
[Commercial Break]
-A video montage on The Miz aired. He's awesome.
Dragon with a moonsault off the top rope for a nearfall. Psicosis attempts a powerbomb, but Dragon rolls through. Psicosis reverses the roll up into another roll up for a pin attempt. Dragon with a la mahistral cradle for a nearfall. Dragon hoists Psicosis up to the top rope. Both men struggle in a suplex position and fall to the mat face-first. Both men crash and burn with spinning heel kick attempts. Dragon climbs to the top, but Psicosis cuts him off. Psicosis with a Frankensteiner off the top. Moments later, Dragon with a running Liger bomb. Dragon places Psicosis on the top rope. It looked like Dragon was going to attempt a Frankensteiner, but instead he performed some sort of tornado DDT variation. Dragon follows up with a Tiger suplex for the win.
WINNER: Ultimo Dragon in 10:25 of what aired. Great high-flying action.
[Commercial Break]
-A video montage on Rey Mysterio aired.
-Okerlund said that the cruiserweight division helped launch WCW to the top of the wrestling world. Having seen the excitement this younger generation of superstars could generate, WWE decided to reignite the defunct Jr. Heavyweight division in 1997 and create the Light Heavyweight Championship. The division attracted wrestlers from around the globe including the future Japanese buzzsaw Yoshihiro Tajiri making a very early appearance on Raw.
3 – YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI vs. BRIAN CHRISTOPHER
This match is from the October 13, 1997 episode of Monday Night Raw. At the time, Tajiri was still sporting his regular blue wrestling trunks. Jim Ross mentions that Tajiri went to dental school in Japan. Jerry Lawler said that would come in handy when Christopher knocks all his teeth out. Christopher executes a hiptoss and does that maniacal laugh. Tajiri catches Christopher running off the ropes with a release overhead belly to belly suplex. Tajiri follows up with an assortment of kicks. Tajiri with a missile dropkick off the top for a nearfall. Christopher ducks out of the way of a spinning heel kick. Christopher gets Tajiri in a full nelson and drops him face first to the mat. Lawler cheers on his son as Christopher connects with a running bulldog. Tajiri with a handspring elbow off the ropes and hits some more kicks. Lawler says that Christopher knows nothing about the martial arts – he thinks Judo is the stuff they make bagels out of. Tajiri nails some more kicks as Vince McMahon reminisces about Antonio Inoki. Christopher regains control with a clothesline. Christopher misses a knee drop off the top rope. Tajiri with a suplex, senton, and standing moonsault for a nearfall. Christopher rolls up Tajiri and holds the tights for the cheap win.
WINNER: Brian Christopher in 5:08 of what aired. Surprising they let Tajiri get in so much offense.
[Commercial Break]
-The "Please Do Not Try This at Home" video aired.
-Okerlund said that the innovations of the legendary Tiger Mask went a long way influencing high risk offense in North America. Another legend was The Dynamite Kid who found himself in Japan on numerous occasions including a feud with Tiger Mask. Back in 1985, Dynamite was one half of the most exciting tag team in wrestling – The British Bulldogs. That same year two innovators of high flying offense met in a rare match-up.
4 – THE DYNAMITE KID vs. RANDY SAVAGE (w/Miss Elizabeth) – Tournament Semifinal
This match is from The Wrestling Classic PPV held on November 7, 1985 in Rosemont, Ill. The show revolved around a 16-man tournament which The Junkyard Dog ended up winning. Both men struggle with a collar and elbow tie up. As the ref attempts to break them up, Savage hits a cheap shot. Dynamite with a running shoulderblock followed by a back body drop. Dynamite tries for a sunset flip, but Savage drops down on his chest. They take each other down in a double clothesline collision. Savage climbs up to the top. Dynamite hits a dropkick to crotch Savage on the turnbuckle. Dynamite with a superplex, but Savage turns it into an inside cradle for the win
WINNER: Randy Savage in 3:26 of what aired. Short, but very entertaining to see these two in the ring together.
[Commercial Break]
-A video montage on Evan Bourne aired.
-Okerlund said that if one man had to personify the cruiserweight landscape between WWE and WCW it would be Rey Mysterio. Before this masked marvel rose to prominence no one had ever seen an athlete with the speed, balance, and precision of Mysterio.
5 – DEAN MALENKO vs. REY MYSTERIO – WCW Cruiserweight Title Match
This match is from the WCW Great American Bash PPV held on June 16, 1996 in Baltimore, MD. Mysterio is making his WCW debut. Handshake to start. Both men grab wristlocks and escape via handsprings. Dusty Rhodes compares Dean Malenko to Danny Hodge on commentary. Mysterio with a lucha libre arm drag to send Malenko to the outside. Malenko climbs to the apron and Mysterio jumps off the turnbuckle and hits him with a dropkick. Malenko slingshots Mysterio out of the ring. Back in the ring, Malenko begins to target the left arm of Mysterio. Malenko with a hammerlock bodyslam on the arm. Malenko works over the arm with various submission holds. Mysterio to the outside in an attempt to recover. Malenko hooks Mysterio's arm in the guardrail and kicks it. Mike Tenay mentions that if Mysterio wins the title AAA would hold two WCW titles as Konnan was the U.S. Champion at the time. With Malenko holding his arm, Mysterio climbs the ropes and nails a dropkick. Malenko battles back with a vicious clothesline that sends Mysterio inside out.
[Commercial Break]
-A video aired hyping the Night of Champions PPV.
Malenko with a butterfly suplex for a nearfall. Malenko is starting to become frustrated that he can't put his opponent away. Malenko attempts a Fujiwara armbar submission, but Mysterio makes the ropes. Mysterio sends Malenko through the ropes to the outside where Malenko collides with a cameraman. Mysetrio nails him with a springboard somersault to the floor. Mysterio with a springboard dropkick for a nearfall. Both men exchange pinning combinations. Mysterio with a springboard hurancanrana for a nearfall. Both men battle on the top before Mysterio connects with a frankensteiner. Malenko catches Mysterio running off the ropes with a tilt-a-whirl, but Mysterio turns it into a pinning situation for another nearfall. Malenko counters a hurancanrana attempt into a powerbomb and places his feet on the ropes to score the victory. Fans stand up and applaud both men.
WINNER: Dean Malenko in 11:02 of what aired to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Title. Excellent fast paced match-up.
-Okerlund recapped the main event. Even in a losing effort, Mysterio made a splash in WCW and managed to capture the Cruiserweight Title on several occasions. Next week we will look back at more cruiserweight action! Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
