[1990-11-10-NWA-World Championship Wrestling] Brian Pillman vs Rip Rogers

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Pillman does a limp wrist to make fun of Rip Rogers and a "faggot" chant eventually gets momentum. Nice. This may be the best short TV match I've ever seen. They work really stiff and cut a fast pace. I love Rogers SCREAMING for a time out. The chops in this one are cringe-inducing. Rogers does an awesome, Savage-style double axehandle to the floor and Pillman does a nice dive of his own -- picture an Asai moonsault without the moonsault part. Pillman wins a great match.

[PeteF3]

These two guys beat the shit out of each other in all manner of ways, from stiff chops to dives to the floor. Doesn't feel like a squash match at all. It's absurd that Rogers was languishing in this spot while J.W. Storm, the Renegade Warriors, the Motor City Madman, and Magnum Force got time on major shows. Yes, you could say Rogers came off as small-time, but would you say the other guys didn't?

[shoe]

I always thought you could push him up the cards in a tag team. He was a good worker with a unique charisma.

[soup23]

Great tv match with stiff shots and amazing work all around.

 

They mentioned an Omni thanksgiving show and that show featured Doom vs. Anderson/Flair in an elimination match and the Steiners vs. Nasties in a cage which I really want to see.

[Kevin Ridge]

Yikes, I thought they crowd were chanting "Flying". Rogers is very vocal in the ring. Demanding time outs and telling the fans to shut up. Thought it was good.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Brian Pillman vs Rip Rogers - NWA World Championship Wrestling 11/10/90

 

Action! Brian Pillman's wrestling acumen is put to the test against the dastardly tactics of Rip Rogers and they cut a furious pace. Rip Rogers has a mean streak a mile wide, hot damn. He may have been yelping "Timeout" and "Shut Up", but don't let the George Washington hairstyling and razzmatazz tights fool you, he chops fuckin hard. Pillman gives as good as he gets. Pillman establishes himself as the better wrestler (armbar base) and the better fighter (winning an early violent chop exchanges). Rogers takes command with eye gouges, fishooks and wicked chops. I love a heel like Rogers he is a total roughhouser and makes Pillman that much better because he can prove that not only can he outwrestle Rogers, but he can be even more physical. Pillman uses his aerial tactics to keep Rogers at bay (headscissors out to the floor and beautiful cross body to the outside) and then lights him up with some brutal chops. Rogers regains control by throwing himself at the ropes to crotch Pillman. Everything Rogers does is underhanded and Pillman always looks better. Pillman blocks the superplex and hits a cross body to win. This is one of the best superstar vs JTTS matches I have ever seen. This had some of the most brutal chopfests you'll ever see. Rogers got enough offense to make it competitive, but it was all dirty tactics and mean. You knew in a fair fight Pillman would win, but this force Pillman to draw on different aspects of his arsenal: aerial and brutal strikes thus demonstrating the different aspects of Pillman. It is an absolutely great showcase for what makes both men incredible in both their roles. ***1/2

[garretta]

This was certainly an unexpected treat, to say the least. Rogers sure made the most of his opportunity here and gave Pillman all he could handle. The opening part of this was fast and brutal, as you almost never see a TV squash worked this way. Eventually it slows down just a hair, as it was bound to, but Pillman doesn't gain final control until he gets the three count. The chops were Flair-level and above, and if Rogers' double axehandle from the top looks like Savage's, it should; those two worked together for a time in Poffo's ICW. In the end, Pillman's just a bit too much of an athlete for the Hustler. I know we have at least one more match featuring Rogers coming in December, and I'm looking forward to it.

 

I don't know about Match of the Decade, but I'd cast a vote for this one as TV "Squash" (note the quotation marks) of the Year.

 

As for the Omni show JR hyped, the Steiners beat the Nasties in the cage when Rick pinned Knobbs, while Doom successfully defended against Flair and Arn in an elimination bout (Arn pinned Reed, Simmons pinned Arn, Simmons pinned Flair when Reed interfered). Also, Sting pinned Sid to retain the World title.

[drew wardlaw]

This is the best Rip Rogers match so far. Pillman really goes toe to toe with Rogers and they work especially stiff. Really raging tv match, and a feud with Rogers being the kind of bizarro Pillman might've been cool.

[dawho5]

Great, great TV match that makes me wonder how many very good to great workers just never got their shot. Rogers should have been used so much better.