[2000-10-09-WCW-Nitro] Rey Mysterio Jr vs Elix Skipper

[soup23]

Good opener on paper. Tygress on commentary here and the Brisbane Australia. In better news for me, this is after Russo was shown the door for the last time. Sunset flip powerbomb from the apron with Madden screaming actually helping a match for once. Stevie and Tygress seem to be having a side conversation outside of the match. Rey hits his big leg drop and Stevie screams “THAT’S A FINISH” for a two count. Rey is really showing some gorgeous dives throughout this match and keeping the crowd up which is optimal for an opener. Prime Time walks the ropes and tries a rana to the floor but Rey’s legs are caught on the ropes which looked odd. Besides that botch, Elix looks better here and more confident of his character than at any other point in 2000 so far. Rey looks close to losing his pants while making his comeback. Rey is still able to hit the somersault tope to the floor. Torrie comes out and attacks Tygress as Rey gets hits with a clothesline on the floor. Prime Time hits the Play of the Week and picks up the big win. Really fun opener. *** (5.8)

[GSR]

Nitro is coming to us from Brisbane, Australia this week. Tony Schiavone talks about ‘Prime Time’ being the current Cruiserweight champion, although he must’ve forgotten the belt and left it in the US because their is no sign of it here. Bodyscissors takedown by Rey and the crowd react huge to that. He whips Elix into the ropes, however he leaps to the middle one, back flips over Rey and drops him with a spinning heel kick. Sunset flip powerbomb to the floor! Skipper throws Rey back into the ring but misses the headscissors as Rey side steps out the way. Leg drop off the top rope (rope, not turnbuckle) to the back of the head for two. Running ‘fameasser’ followed by an Arabian moonsault (which Schiavone erroneously calls a split legged moonsault). Lucha wheelbarrow, however ‘Prime Time’ just dumps Rey on the top rope crotching him. Rope walk rana, but Skipper loses his balance and just kinda falls on Rey in an ugly looking moment. Belly to back suplex and a lovely looking leg drop for a two count of his own. Headscissors escape out of a wristlock, using the top rope as a springboard. A right hand sends Elix tumbling to the outside and Rey with a springboard flip dive to the floor. Bronco buster, when through the crowd comes Torrie Wilson who attacks Tygress who is sat at the commentary desk. As the two roll around at ringside, it distracts Rey allowing Skipper to his ‘Play of the Day’ for the win.

 

This is the kind of crowd that WCW would want to take with them everywhere. Rey looked tremendous; flew more than he has been doing in his tags with Juvi, hit everything and the fans reacted big to him. Skipper looked nervous to begin with, got into things, only to then blow that rope walk rana which set him back to how he was at the beginning. The guys got talent, just needs to find the confidence to go with it.

[AstroBoy]

I liked them going balls to the wall, and this was an earnest attempt at making Skipper stand out, but this had tons of sloppiness and awkwardness.  It didn't ruin the match or anything, and in some ways they just recklessly took each other out with spots and that added to it, but Skipper seemed pretty lost on more than one occasion and the rope-walk rana in particular was brutal.  Decent high spot match, though, and Skipper is good enough at conveying cockiness no matter what is going on in the ring.  The Rey somersault plancha to the floor was a real beauty, and then Skipper finishes it with his really contrived and stupid finisher.

 

**