[1991-07-13-GWF] Lightning Kid vs Jerry Lynn

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

I think I liked every match they had in 1990 better, but I still think this was an excellent match with two guys that were way better than their experience level would suggest, especially Waltman. Kid does an amazing dive to the floor and they do some interesting mat stuff too. Kid wins the match after hitting Lynn with brass knucks, and even does a pretty good heel interview after the match. I don't think he was ever bad, but something happened along the way, because this guy seems like the future of wrestling at this point, physique be damned.

[Childs]

Another good match between these two though unlike the 1990 matches, it did not feel like a chapter in a blood feud. Waltman should have written a guidebook on how to be a spectacular indy wrestler while also behaving like a scummy heel.

[PeteF3]

I'm not sure if Pedicino's talk about the "light heavyweight style" winning out in a tournament over heavyweights makes any sense, but it's a good way of getting over a brand-new concept to most U.S. audiences of this time. They didn't have the past history to draw off of that they did in the PWA, so this functioned as more of a greatest-hits, preview version of their match-up. They work the mat, they actually set up the often-contrived "side suplex into spinning headscissors" spot effectively, and Kid hits an incredible dive from the turnbuckle to the interview set. And that was set up by a nifty counter on the floor where Kid picked Lynn up in a fireman's carry and dropped him facefirst on the apron. This is the Sportatorium, not Sumo Hall, so the finish is Kid smacking Lynn with a foreign object to take the Light Heavyweight title. Kid clarifies afterward that he'd been on a diet to make weight for the tourney and thus had to adjust his tights.

 

I do think Waltman's size was going to hinder him from ever being at a top level that his natural talent and ring instincts may have merited. That he was in the WWF less than two years after this match should probably be taken as a triumph in and of itself.

[Kevin Ridge]

They don’t get the time like their 90 matches and with it being on ESPN there isn’t the blood/hate. Felt like a condensed version of those matches. The dive on to the stage was great. Kid looked good.

[soup23]

Good match but I did like the 3 1990 matches better. Still it was kind of refreshing to see this on ESPN at the time and Kid brings a lot of intensity and heel mannerisms in securing the title.

[garretta]

Most of my thunder has been taken, and quite eloquently too. There's no way these two could have possibly replicated the intensity of their brawls in the bars of the Twin Cities for the ESPN audience, and to their credit, they don't try. We get a lot more mat wrestling and some high flying spots they couldn't do in the bars (notably Waltman's dive to the stage), plus a good old-fashioned brass knucks finish as a special treat for the Sportatorium.....er, excuse me, Global Dome faithful. As a bonus, we get a postmatch interview from Waltman that isn't bad for an eighteen year-old kid in his first time on the national stage. Lynn's prematch interview is pretty standard stuff, but it's nice to hear from him, too.

 

Speaking of people that it's nice to hear from, welcome back to the Yearbooks, Craig Johnson! Jarrett could have used you over the last few months, but it's good to see that there's no ring rust in your play-by-play. It's also nice to get a look at pre-WCW Scott Hudson. Interestingly enough, ESPN keeps the SuperCard name for its television show in spite of the fact that the featured promotion has changed. The blood and violence restrictions apparently haven't, and it'll be interesting to see how Global handles that aspect of things differently from Jarrett, especially since it's being built from the ground up (and presumably with ESPN in mind).

 

I'm looking forward to more Global (and more Waltman and Lynn) in the discs ahead.

[dawho5]

Not as epic as their 1990 matches for sure. There is something to garreta's statement that these two deserve credit for working a different match though. Different rules, less time...if they try to keep doing what they have been doing it is going to fail miserably. For two guys as young as they are to see this and adapt is pretty telling that there are some ring smarts there. Waltman's seriously insane dive is incredible and they do stuff that would be cutting edge anywhere in the world in between all the more traditional wrestling all match. I'm really glad this footage still exists. Imagine if WCW had actually gone with their LHW division seriously and brought in these guys and some Japanese talent in 1991/92.