Eddy Guerrero v Rey Misterio Jr

[Tim Cooke]

Add this to the "Eddy Guerrero is the best wrestler in the world in 2004" list. I don't want to write too much because I don't want to spoil this. Usual story of Rey being the flyer and Eddy being the wrestler. Since the WWE Title is on the line, Rey brings everything he has. While Rey brings the flying, Eddy is content to work the arm with basic wrestling holds, which only makes Rey's flying seem all the more spectacular. Eddy almost starts getting boo's when he beats up Rey too much, which is how incredible he is that as a full blown drawing babyface at this point, he has such great ability to dictate to the crowd certain responses.

 

There are one or two small botches. They try a variation of the flipping ddt from the Havoc 97 match and half way hit it. This is one time where crafty WWE camera work helps.

 

More after I re-watch it again but this is better than Chavo/Rey from GAB 2004 and is a great example of a modern day Face Champion vs. Face Challenger. Almost reminded me an old studio match where two faces woud face each other in a "scientific" match, since that is what faces did. Of course, this wasn't a scientific match.

[Loss]

I'm glad you like this match. Do you think it's an overstatement to call it #2 MOTY for WWE? Did you have Rey/Chavo in that spot before?

[Tim Cooke]

I had Chavo/Rey there before but after watching the Eddy/Rey match as well as re-watching Chavo/Rey over vacation, it is fairly easily #2 with Eddy/Show at 3, JBL/Eddy GAB at 4, Rey/Chavo at 5, and JBL/Eddy in the cage at 6, Brock/Eddy at 7, and then I don't know what.

 

I def see the Otani/Samurai comparisons, at least in regard to sticking to the arm throughout.

 

I need to learn to never write off matches as I was sure this wouldn't be too good and then was blown away.

 

Tim

[Resident Evil]

I remember liking this one. The ending was cool. My MOTY for 2004 has actually changed and is the Benoit vs Orton Raw title match now.

[Guest Benjie]

I remember liking this one. The ending was cool. My MOTY for 2004 has actually changed and is the Benoit vs Orton Raw title match now.

What was it before? I liked Orton vs. Benoit a lot too. Benoit's intesity in the first part of the match was really cool and Orton held up his end of the match as well.

 

I enjoyed Eddie vs. Rey too. I did find the botches annoying, especially the one that they did at Havoc as that move was performed so beautifully in 97. Eddie did however murder Rey's arm with some neat submission holds. I liked it, but their match from this year was better by quite a bit.

[Resident Evil]

I remember liking this one. The ending was cool. My MOTY for 2004 has actually changed and is the Benoit vs Orton Raw title match now.

What was it before? I liked Orton vs. Benoit a lot too. Benoit's intesity in the first part of the match was really cool and Orton held up his end of the match as well.

 

I enjoyed Eddie vs. Rey too. I did find the botches annoying, especially the one that they did at Havoc as that move was performed so beautifully in 97. Eddie did however murder Rey's arm with some neat submission holds. I liked it, but their match from this year was better by quite a bit.

I'm not sure. Benoit vs Michaels or Benoit vs Kane from Raw. With Eddie I liked the Bradshaw match and the Big Show one as well.

 

 

This year some of my favs are Eddie vs Rey from Smackdown, Michaels vs Benjamin and Benoit vs Regal.

[Guest Benjie]

I'm not sure. Benoit vs Michaels or Benoit vs Kane from Raw.

Benoit vs. Michaels was real good. Michaels was good at changing his style somewhat and bringing moves to the table that we don't often see from him, and Benoit's selling made Michaels look real good. Plus Benoit was also Benoit so it was guaranteed to turn out good.

 

I didn't get to see Benoit vs. Kane on RAW as I think I was on holiday at that time. How did it compare to their PPV match from last year? Even though Kane bores me nowadays, I found it to be pretty good.

 

This year some of my favs are Eddie vs Rey from Smackdown, Michaels vs Benjamin

Those two are my favourites as well. Eddie vs. Rey just had so much good going on in the match that it's hard to ignore it as a top match. Benjamin vs. Michaels benefits from the length of it. I have a feeling that had they been given twenty minutes like some people have wished, then it wouldn't have been as good. I don't like Michaels wrestling as a heel so an extended time would've likely resulted in me not liking the match as much.

[Resident Evil]

Sorry for kind of hijacking this thread.

 

 

Yeah, I like Michaels inring work as a face better too.

 

 

Benoit vs Kane was better than their PPV match. It's more exciting, the flow was smoother, it was more intense and they managed to finish off the "Kane/ Can Benoit make him tap or is it impossible?" story they started at the PPV. They also worked in a Benoit can't win by countout or pin rule which added some spice to the match. Great roleplaying too as you never forget Benoit's the small guy here and Kane is indeed the monstor.

 

There are less rest holds in this one as there's only 1 and that's used nicely as a way to get the fans to rally behind Benoit. The ending brings the excitement because of the way the moves were upped and the conclusion which put the feud to rest.

[Loss]

Eddy Guerrero v Rey Misterio Jr - WWE Smackdown 03/18/04

 

My initial perceptions of this being the WWE equivalent of Otani/Samurai were wrong after rewatching this, but this is still an outstanding match for entirely different reasons. In fact, if anything, it's more of a more current (and abbreviated) equivalent of Bret Hart's title defense against the 1-2-3 Kid back in July of '94 on RAW. It's important to note that the crowd is solidly behind Eddy at the beginning of this match, like Hart/Kid, and as the match progresses, they find themselves more behind Rey. Eddy is stunned when Rey headscissors him out of the ring, much like Bret was stunned when Kid caught him with such a fast armdrag early on in their match. There's some really good, basic but fast paced matwork to start things off before tempers flare and a shoving match starts. One advantage this has over Bret/Kid is that these two are more capable of doing some really complex wrestling sequences, the first of which is when Rey tries a DDT out of a wheelbarrow suplex attempt and Eddy blocks it by running him into the ringpost. We see some really unique armwork that I've never seen in WWE before this match, with Eddy *standing on his head* to add leverage to a basic hammerlock and going right back to it every time Rey gets in a burst of big offense. The best highspot of the match sees Rey counter a back bodydrop attempt into a bodyscissors to throw Eddy out of the ring, following it up with a beautiful Asai moonsault to the floor.

 

In fact, the highspots come across looking even more spectacular than they would otherwise because Eddy isn't doing any big spots -- he's working the mat and getting that story over, which shows the value in being a versatile wrestler capable of switching gears when needed. The false finishes are also awesome, as the crowd is totally convinced Rey has pulled off the upset of a lifetime when he gets a DDT on Eddy after yet another multi-move sequence. The point is also made that Rey knows Eddy quite well, as he blocks the third Locomotion suplex into a schoolboy. Eddy later gets in the move anyway, which actually gets him booed. He misses a frogsplash, giving Rey his last chance to secure the win. The 619 setup here is the best I've seen it, with absolutely no stalling and a totally believable transition into the move. He misses the West Coast Pop, however, which gives Eddy a chance to get in La Magistral to finish things off. Great, great match that does wonders to get each guy over, not only as a great wrestler, but as a great champion and a great challenger. These two are a wrestling marriage made in heaven more often than not.

 

***3/4

[Guest DylanWaco]

The only thing that really bothered me about the match was the build to it on the same Show. Rey had already wrestled and I really thought it undermined Eddy a bit to have Rey shown as his equal from the jump.

[Loss]

*bump*