[2001-02-26-WCW-Nitro] Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio Jr vs Johnny Swinger & Jason Lee

[GSR]

First match in the Cruiserweight tag team title tournament.  Tony Schiavone notes that Swinger has wrestled previously in WCW back in 1999, however he didn’t want to conform and was a renegade. That sounds like some sort of inside remark about him going to ECW.  Jason Lee is the same Jason Lee from the Suicide Blondes in OVW.  The first time that the two have ever teamed up together but this was an opportunity to big to turn down!  Rey is wearing some weird half mask.  Sit-out uranage by Lee on Kidman.  He telegraphs the backdrop and a combination double chicken wing/springboard dropkick from the Animals pancakes him to the mat.  Lee gets his knees up on the Lionsault as the underdogs look to take over.  Double front suplex, dumping Rey across the top rope.  Cobra clutch Russian legsweep followed by a sit-out swinging neckbreaker, Kidman in to break up the cover.  Both men have the same idea on the running crossbody and they both go down.  Hot tag to Kidman who is all over them.  Rey leaps off the back of Kidman, like for a Poetry in Motion, but instead forearms Lee across the face.  Bronco buster.  Swinger is in from behind, but Rey pulls down the top rope and he ends up on the outside.  Rey fakes them out on the dive and when they turn back around catches them with a double clothesline off the apron.  Springboard Shooting Star by Kidman to the floor.  Back inside Rey takes care of Swinger with a headscissors, they then hit the Nutcracker on Lee and Kidman with the Kid Crusher, becoming the first team to advance to the semi-finals.

Seeing so many of his old ECW contemporaries are earning a living on the independent scene Swinger did well to get picked up by WCW, especially as you would think he wouldn’t be high on the list of guys a company would be looking to sign from the Extreme ashes.  From what I remember Lee took this gig without informing Jim Cornette. Good short match.  I forget who wins the tournament but Rey & Kidman should make it to the finals at least, that way they’re either the right team to be the first champions or they give someone the big rub by having them beat them.