ECW Hardcore TV, Philadelphia, PA
A request! This is an Extreme Lucha Libre Rematch! It is between Psicosis and his “longtime nemesis,” Rey Misterio Jr. Rey was 20 at this point, he wasn’t eligible to be anyone’s “longtime” anything.
But this was already a storied rivalry for sure, and one that played a strong role in changing U.S. TV wrestling. This, obviously, predates WCW’s cruiserweight division by several months, and stuff like this and the Malenko-Guerrero series helped set some new standards that inspired the bigger companies to take notice and see an opening.
(Requests open and tips always appreciated!)
Joey Styles says Rey “can fly through the air like nobody else in the history of this sport.” He acknowledges it’s a bold statement, and it is, but honestly, it wasn’t hyperbole. The argument was very strong. He was a total game-changer.
Joel Gertner, before he becomes a ridiculous pervert caricature, does the ring announcing in Spanish and treats it as serious tribute and respect.
This is two out of three falls. Rey sends Psicosis out to the floor quickly, then does a fakeout dive, and then an actual crossbody to the floor that sends them both over the railing. Rey back in the ring, another dive connects, and they’re right back into the first couple rows!
The crowd is already fired up, and why not? They’d seen these guys in ECW once before, they tore it up, and now they’re wasting no time in getting rolling again. Back in the ring, Rey SPIKES Psicosis with a Frankensteiner for the quick first fall!
Ad break! I have some of the original VHS plugs (Gangstas Paradise event) here, and by the way, thank you to the people who have done the “Re-C-Dub” stuff and really anything like it. This makes watching old shows so much more enjoyable for me, no matter how large or small the fix.
Back from break, Joey Styles calls Bobby Heenan a racist, basically insinuating that he would be making “Mexican jokes” if he were calling this match. Now listen, I’m not saying the Brain never had any insulting commentary in his day, but this stray he catches is pretty funny because, for the most part, he wound up a serious on-air champion for the cruiserweights and great workers coming into WCW soon. Joey had his reasons to suspect it would not be the case should Heenan get assigned matches like this, but Bobby was actually pretty important for those guys getting over, I think.
Once we get going again, Misterio spins out of some potential trouble and gets Psicosis with a spin kick, then up top and flies with a rana, sending Psicosis out to the floor, and Rey hits another flying rana from the apron to the floor. Joe Styles explains that a huracanrana is “simply a flying reverse victory roll.”
Fans chanting “Mi steri o, Mi steri o,” and now Psicosis is back and offering the handshake. He even goes to a knee for the offer, but Rey doesn’t bit. Psicosis with an enzuigiri of sorts and then he talks some shit. More offense stolen many of us had only previously seen from Steiners as Psicosis drives Rey into the corner, abdomen first out of an inverted powerslam position.
Big power bomb from Psicosis, but Rey kicks at two. Lights in the ECW Arena have dimmed a couple times, like happens when you might lose power but the power is fighting for all it’s worth. Sharpshooter from Psicosis.
Out to the floor, lights dim again. Chair shot to Misterio’s ankle, then Rey gets slammed onto the ringside table, then thrown into the ring. Slingshot guillotine legdrop from Psicosis and the energy in the crowd has definitely dipped with the Pscisos control, but it had to, basically.
Misterio back on the offense and don’t worry, that chair to the ankle is not going to be sold or anything. Rey tries a springboard moonsault press, but he’s caught mid-air and DRIVEN down with a tombstone, Psicosis wins the fall and we’re even at 1-1!
Out on the floor when the match resumes, Psicosis does a weird but effective power bomb onto that table, then just picks Rey up and tosses him over into the crowd, where he dives out and fully connects. Misterio goes under the railing to return, that’s fun.
Psicosis misses a charge into the corner, on the floor again, and Rey springboards into a flying crotch attack. On the floor, they just start angrily kicking at each other and Psicosis throws a chair toward him.
Rey using the chair now, putting Psicosis head in it and then running him into the post, and then into another post. Rey with another flying rana back in the ring and that gets two. Spinning headscissors that Styles calls “beautiful,” and then another springboard crotch attack to the floor.
Next big thing is Psicosis with a flying senton to the floor, through a table. Styles calls it a legdrop but it was not. Crowd just loses it there, though.
Lights dim again as Psicosis hits another power bomb in the ring, then puts a chair on him. Moonsault senton onto the chair and Rey! And that wins it! Psicosis gets the win! There’s a brief “Sabu who” chant just before the finishing touch from Psicosis. Same fans would gladly welcome him back the following month.
This doesn’t hold up for spectacle against many, many, many, many more modern fast-paced, high-flying matches, but you think of this in the context of 1995 U.S. TV wrestling, when if you watched all the TV you could get excited about Chris Benoit and Vern Henderson having a surprisingly great squash match on the WCW {Pro}, and its reputation holds plenty these 28 years later. And Rey Mysterio is still on TV every week. And he still rules.
Tape Machines Are Rolling 