[2001-04-07-NWA Wildside-TV] Robbie Rage vs Omen

[GSR]

Robbie Rage is the former one half of High Voltage, while Omen was under a WCW developmental contract, although never made television.  Both are physical specimens.  The match is for Rage’s Television title.  It’s noted that Rage has just come back from a tour of New Japan where he teamed with Don Frye and to put over his “shoot” pedigree they talk of him making UFC champion Randy Couture tap out twice, even if it wasn’t in competition!  Rage with a nice leg scissors takedown into a kneebar that forces Omen to go to the ropes early.  Spinning leg trip by Omen.  He then does that same leg scissors into a kneebar that Rage did on him.  A great overhead belly to belly from the champion.  High knee.  Omen reverses the whip to the corner, picks Rage up and slams him to the mat.  Snap suplex.  A double clothesline sees both men go down.  Rage is to his feet first and hits an Oklahoma Stampede.  He lands an exploder but Omen kicks out of the cover.  The challenger catches him with a powerslam for a near fall as the match goes one way and then the other.  Rage reverses the Irish whip and looks as though he hooks Omen for a DDT only to roll through into a Misawa facelock.  They’re too close to the ropes, however Rage with an immediate gut wrench and then he’s back at it with the same hold, this time Omen verbally submitting as his arms were trapped.  The two former Power Plant graduates embrace post-match in a showing of mutual respect.

An interesting, if at times clunky, watch.  The commentators were trying to portray this as if it was “shoot style”, but it was more traditional pro wrestling with shoot style elements thrown in.  Rage was someone who Paul Heyman was high on and you can see potential in he and Omen, although they could both do with losing some muscle mass.