A while back I mentioned the difficulty involved in having a sound match without a lot of time to work with. As mentioned this has made women’s wrestling in mainstream American wrestling tough to enjoy since a lot of those women haven’t had time to hone their craft and be able to work short and sound matches. Fortunately, AJPW just posted this match with two women who can certainly work a short and sound match.
Whether you’ve never seen a Cheerleader Melissa match or you’ve seen a thousand it doesn’t matter. Melissa telegraphs her heel status from the start by refusing to shake Makoto’s hand. Makoto responds by launching some strikes right after the bell rings. These barely phase Melissa and bounce off of her the way jobbers used to bounce off of the WWF’s Earthquake. Instead she knocks Makoto down with one hard chop. After a while she is torturing Makoto by wrapping her legs up like a pretzel while simultaneously kicking her. I don’t think I’ve even seen Dean Malenko pull off a move like that.
Yet, one high impact move is missing before Melissa can claim victory. Melissa obliterates Makoto with a vertebreaker. Will she hold out? Can she hold out? Only one way to know. Check out the bout above.
Interviewer’s Note: At the age of 24, Jonathan Gresham has already traveled the world as a wrestler and has performed in Japan, Hong Kong, Europe and all over the United States. A few of the more notable promotions he has performed for include CZW, Beyond Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Zero1. In September 2012 he won ZERO1′s Tenkaichi Tournament, which featured many of the world’s top junior heavyweights. The in-ring product he delivers is unique and draws from sources ranging from his trainer, Mr. Hughes to Japanese sensation, Ikuto Hidaka. In this interview Gresham and I focus on the topic of junior heavyweights going beyond what junior heavyweights have been stereotyped as.
Daniel Johnson: Who was the first junior heavyweight wrestler that you connected with as a fan? Jonathan Gresham: I would have to say it was Sean Waltman.
Daniel Johnson: I read that Bam Bam Bigelow was the first wrestler you really liked. Did bigger wrestlers stick out to you more at first? If so, why do you think that is? Jonathan Gresham: I reckon. I think at that age everyone wanted to be the big bad strong guy. And that’s what Bigelow was.
Daniel Johnson: When did you first decide you wanted to make a jump from being a fan to being a wrestler? Jonathan Gresham: When I was around the ages six to nine I’d say.
Daniel Johnson: Was there any particular style of wrestling that you learned first? If so, why did you learn that style first? Jonathan Gresham: I learned the American way of wrestling first.That is because my trainer is Mr. Hughes.
Daniel Johnson: If any, what junior heavyweight wrestlers have you learned from either by being personally trained by them or watching their matches? Jonathan Gresham: Dean Malenko, Ikuto Hidaka, Tiger Mask and Chris Benoit. Just to name a few.
Daniel Johnson: I read that your first match was with Heath Miller (currently WWE’s Heath Slater). What was your wrestling ability like at that time? Did you use any high flying moves or did you use a more mat-based approach? Jonathan Gresham: Yes, Miller was my first match. I was just doing the basics of wrestling during that time. Hughes really wanted us to have that down before we tried to do more.
Daniel Johnson: Has your preference for a style of wrestling changed since then? What is your favorite style of wrestling to work today? Jonathan Gresham: I have tried and studied many different styles of wrestling. I can’t really say I have a favorite one. As I use them all competing against many different wrestlers.
Daniel Johnson: Who have been your favorite opponents so far? Feel free to break it down by style if you like. Jonathan Gresham: Zack Sabre Jr., Jason New, CJ Banks and Ikuto Hidaka.
Daniel Johnson: Getting into the world of gimmicks: What if any gimmicks can junior heavyweight wrestlers pull off better than larger wrestlers? Jonathan Gresham: I don’t know. I never thought about that.
Daniel Johnson: What has been your favorite gimmick that you got to use so far? Least favorite? Jonathan Gresham: I don’t really have a gimmick. So I’d have to say just being me.
Daniel Johnson: What, if any, would you say is the stereotype of a junior heavyweight wrestler? Jonathan Gresham: That all we do is jump around with little to no psychology.
Daniel Johnson: Who is one wrestler you can point to that most differs from this stereotype? Jonathan Gresham: Zack Sabre Jr.
Daniel Johnson: What, if any, misconceptions do you think there are about you as a performer? Jonathan Gresham: I would not know where to start with this question, but I’m guessing it is the same answer as before, ” jump around with little to no psychology.”
Daniel Johnson: Who are some junior heavyweight wrestlers today that you would say are particularly well-rounded and can work multiple styles of wrestling? Jonathan Gresham: Hidaka, CJ Banks and [Mike] Quackenbush are the only ones that come to mind.
Daniel Johnson: Would you say this is the best time ever to be a junior heavyweight wrestler? Why or why not? Jonathan Gresham: Again, I can’t answer that question. I wasn’t in the business back in the 198′s. During that time being a junior seemed to be a big deal as it was kind of a new thing at that time. So comparing it is pretty much impossible, but I can say now is a good time for pro wrestling in general. Different countries are opening up to the idea of a having pro wrestling in their area. So the sport is growing and expanding which is good for business.
Daniel Johnson: How do you see the world of junior heavyweight wrestling changing in the near future? Jonathan Gresham: From traveling around meeting and competing with a lot of different guys I have to say in the next few years there will be new faces of junior divisions all around the world and they all are great talents.
Daniel Johnson: You mentioned in the next few years there will be news faces of junior divisions all around the world. Who are one or two wrestlers that you think this would apply to and what specifically makes them stand out? Jonathan Gresham: I believe a wrestler from Hong Kong named Jason New will make a huge impact sometime soon, while helping the world take notice to wrestling in Hong Kong.
Daniel Johnson: This is a really broad question so feel free to interpret it as you want: Is there anything junior heavyweight wrestlers are not doing today that you think they should be doing? Jonathan Gresham: They should not always be the “fire works” part of the show, sometimes mix it up and tell a story. As juniors we have the ability to be many different things.
Daniel Johnson: I had two off the top of your head questions. Off the top of your head who are your favorite junior heavyweight wrestlers from the following places: the United States/Canada, Mexico, Europe and Japan? Jonathan Gresham: United States: Dingo (Mid West), Mexico: Argenis, Europe: CJ Banks(United Kingdom) and The Hunter Brothers(United Kingdom).
Daniel Johnson: Off the top of your head what is the best junior heavyweight match of all time? Jonathan Gresham: Man, I don’t know. There are so many. I can’t think of just one to be honest.
Daniel Johnson: As part of my last several questions I like to ask five non-wrestling related questions just to make this discussion a little bit different. If you don’t have an answer or don’t want to answer one of them then just say, “skip.” Outside of wrestling, what television shows do you enjoy watching these days? Jonathan Gresham: The Walking Dead and Friends(I know its old).
Daniel Johnson: What was your favorite movie that came out this year? Jonathan Gresham: John Carter.
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite food that you tried for the first time this year? Jonathan Gresham: Salmon pizza.
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite song to come out this year? Jonathan Gresham: I don’t have one.
Daniel Johnson: Did you vote in your last local election? If so would you be willing to say for who? Jonathan Gresham: Yeah I did and no.
Daniel Johnson: How do you see your career changing for the future? Basically, where do you see yourself in five years? Jonathan Gresham: To be honest, I don’t have a clue and I try to enjoy right now as much as I can. So I try to not think too far ahead.
Daniel Johnson: Is there any place you have yet to work that you would like to work? If so where? Jonathan Gresham: Canada.
Daniel Johnson: Who are your dream opponents to work with? This question applies to both junior heavyweights and non-junior heavyweights? Jonathan Gresham: I think Sabre Jr. is at the top of the list. Also, KUSHIDA, Masato Tanaka, Shinjiro Otani, Doug Willams and Alex Shelley.
Daniel Johnson: I always like to try to ask this or something similar: What is the weirdest part of being a professional wrestler? Jonathan Gresham: The fans. You meet some interesting people at shows.
Daniel Johnson: Do you have a particularly good story about one unusual encounter you have had meeting a fan or fans? Jonathan Gresham: Not really. It is just the people I tend to meet. Like some have travel schedules like wrestlers, but they don’t wrestle.They just come to watch the shows. I could not imagine traveling the world, to watch wrestling. Its a passion as well I guess. Its gotten to the point where we are on first name bases which is pretty cool to me.
Daniel Johnson: My last question is: Is there anything you would like to add? Jonathan Gresham: Nope, I’m good. Thank you for having me!
Check out Jonathan Gresham in a junior heavyweight bout! Here he takes on Jonny Mangue in an encounter from Beyond Wrestling:
Interviewer’s Note: ACH began life in Texas, but since that time has traveled the United States to compete in some of the most well-known and fastest growing independent promotions. He first got into wrestling as a fan of major promotions, but since that time he has jumped into the independent scene as a wrestler and as a spectator. Now a five year veteran of the wrestling industry, ACH has worked for CZW, CHIKARA and Beyond Wrestling among others. While he has enjoyed success stateside in the future he would like to wrestle in Japan and possibly showcase his skills in a Super J Cup competition. In this interview ACH and I focus on the topic of performing in wrestling tournaments.
Daniel Johnson: My first question is for those unfamiliar with your career where and when were you born and when did you debut as a wrestler? ACH: I was born Born December 7th and in San Antonio, Texas.
Daniel Johnson: When did you have your first match? ACH: I debuted in February 2007.
Daniel Johnson: How would you describe yourself as a performer in a nutshell? ACH: Um-mm. Exciting.
Daniel Johnson: Getting into the topic of wrestling tournaments what was the first wrestling tournament you remember watching? ACH: My first major tournament watching was WWF’s “King Of The Ring”. I don’t recall which one. I wasn’t a huge WWF fan in the 1990s. My first indie tournament was the Texas version of the J Cup.
Daniel Johnson: Are there any moments that stand out for you as particularly impressive or just made you think, “wow” and if so, why? ACH: I don’t remember which KOTR it was. So, I don’t have any moments from it. But The J Cup from Texas I do remember! That night in the main event it was JT Lamotta versus Bret Thunder. That match was “wow”, brother! They gave me a new outlook on the junior weight class in wrestling! JT Lamotta is one of my favorite wrestlers and that night was the first time I saw him in action!
Daniel Johnson: Nice! Since that time you’ve wrestled in some wrestling tournaments yourself. Do you know how many you wrestled in exactly and what were they? ACH: Lol. Oh, man! Beyond Wrestling: Tournament for Tomorrow, Magnum Pro [MP]: Battle Royale Cup, Absolute Intense Wrestling [AIW]: The JT Lightning Invitational Tournament, CZW: Best Of The Best, CHIKARA’s Young Lions Cup, and I think I missed a couple. Lol, sorry.
Daniel Johnson: You mentioned CZW Best of the Best. You were eliminated in the first round of that tournament by AR Fox in a three way match also featuring Lince Dorado. How do you think the match turned out? What were the positives and did you feel there were any negatives? ACH: I think the match turned out pretty good. The positives in the match were I was able to showcase for a different type of fan base. CZW fans can be harsh if they don’t get into you. And on top of that I was in the ring with the most over guy in the promotion being AR Fox! I’m really hard on myself, so you don’t want me to get into the negatives, brother! Lol. Nah, some of my negatives our a bit personal so I wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about them.
Daniel Johnson: Had you seen any CZW Best of the Best tournaments prior to participating in one? If so are there any matches or moments that stick out to you as being particularly impressive. ACH: Unfortunately, I was very sheltered in the beginning of my career. I wasn’t an indie wrestling fan when I started. Only because I had no clue it was there! But I did do a history report and studied Best of the Best tournaments from the past. And the one that sticks out the most to me was Best of the Best V. The quarter-final match: Mike Quackenbush versus Claudio Castagnoli was poetry, man!
Daniel Johnson: This is a little off topic, but what do you think of CZW’s current status in the wrestling world in general. Do you think the company should be more well known given its longevity and quality? If so why do you think CZW is not a bigger name? ACH: I think CZW is well known. It’s one the top five indie promotions in the world if you ask me.
Daniel Johnson: Back on topic, more recently you wrestled for CHIKARA’s Young Lions Cup X. What was the experience like of wrestling all the way to the finals? ACH: Awesome! I got to wrestle five guys with all different styles! Also, I got a chance to wrestle in a new state! The four way that took place in Everett, MA was one of the funnest matches I’ve been in. Matches like that are why I enjoy my job.
Daniel Johnson: Nice to hear you enjoyed wrestling in MA, that’s where I’m from! Anyway, what did you think of the structure of the tournament with four way matches leading into singles matches? How, if at all do you think it helps the tournament stand out? ACH: Haha. Sweet! I think with it being structured the way it was helped keep it interesting. The curiosity in a four way is always at a high point! And some of the four way matches had fresh faces, so everyone stayed tuned in to what would happen next and wanted to see who would advance. It also keeps the tournament short so fans won’t get burned out so fast.
Daniel Johnson: How much pressure was it to perform in the final match of the tournament? What did you do to prepare for it? ACH: I was pretty nervous! I remember talking to Quack before the show that night and he pretty much told me this needs to be Wrestlemania! Well, he didn’t say that, but I took his words that way! Lol. I zoned out in the locker room that day. I took myself away from the boys so I could prepare my mind.
Daniel Johnson: The last specific tournament I wanted to focus on was Beyond Wrestling: Tournament for Tomorrow that you wrestled in last year. How did you first get started with Beyond Wrestling? ACH: Word of mouth. I was getting some buzz back home in Texas and I was in a fray for DGUSA a couple of months before the tournament. A bunch of guys put me over to Drew Cordeiro [Denver Colorado, the man, not the place] and he had an open vote to see who the fans wanted to see in the tournament.
Daniel Johnson: Beyond Wrestling seems like a pretty unique promotion. For instance when it first started they didn’t have any shows in front of fans. What, if anything do you find is still unique about Beyond Wrestling and can other promotions learn from the company? ACH: I love it! I think other promotions can learn to trust the product like Beyond does. He lets you go out there and have fun. It’s a job, but you get to express yourself freely while getting yourself over.
Daniel Johnson: You wrestled AR Fox, Pinkie Sanchez and Aaron Epic in three separate matches for the tournament. Did any of the three matches in particular stand out as being the best one for you? If so why do you think that one is the best? ACH: I loved them all the same. I don’t compare the matches because each one had a unique thing about it. But if I had to pick one…AR Fox. Only because it was my coming out party to the east coast.
Daniel Johnson: Did the tournament include any talent that you saw for the first time there? Are there any matches that you didn’t wrestle in that stuck out to you just as a fan? ACH: I can’t recall any of the matches that night. There were so many! But JT Dunn is one of the guys that stuck out that night!
Daniel Johnson: The Tournament for Tomorrow was another case of you wrestling all the way up to the finals of a tournament. What is it like to go into a new place and get the fans immediately behind you as was shown through your success that night? ACH: It’s breathtaking, man! If you ask me, I’m just Albert from Austin, Texas enjoying his career and life. It really means the world to me to hear all the kind words from people.
Daniel Johnson: Will you be wrestling for Beyond Wrestling’s Tournament for Tomorrow II this year or CZW Best of the Best XII next year? How about CHIKARA’s Young Lions Cup XI? ACH: I talked to Drew about it already. And he said…no, lol! And for the other two, I couldn’t tell you, man! I would love to, but I don’t know right now.
Daniel Johnson: That’s too bad I’m sure your fans would have loved to see you in another Beyond Wrestling tournament! Going beyond just Beyond Wrestling though have any wrestlers in particular impressed you with their endurance in being able to have multiple quality matches in the same night for a tournament? ACH: Nah. Everyone I know or have seen in a tournament trained hard. Everyone was always at their best that night whether it was their second match of the night or third!
Daniel Johnson: How important is it to use the time for resting between matches in a one night tournament? Do you just lie down at those points or are you afraid of cramping up? ACH: Very important! But you don’t want to get too relaxed. I try to get a moment to myself to get my wind back, then I try to stay loose so I won’t cramp up.
Daniel Johnson: What advice would you give to anyone planning to wrestle multiple matches in a one night tournament? ACH: Make sure you are at your best! Drink water, but not too much. Also, make sure that you keep your mind clear of all outside problems and never hold anything back!
Daniel Johnson: Wrestling tournaments are often talked about for the prestige that they give the winner or even just the participants. What wrestling tournament do you think is the most prestigious one to compete in? ACH: The Super J Cup over in Japan. But overall all tournaments are special. You have a group of the best going for one goal.
Daniel Johnson: Looking to the future, I don’t believe you’ve gotten a chance to wrestle in Japan, a country known for having some great wrestling tournaments yet? Would you like to go there in the future? If so what company would you wrestle for even beyond just considering wrestling for tournaments? ACH: Oh yeah! That is my current goal right now. I would love to wrestle for Dragon Gate [DG] and one day take part in a Super J Cup!
Daniel Johnson: This is a broad question, but what is your favorite single wrestling tournament of all time both as an observer and participant? ACH: The Super J Cup 1994 of course! Wild Pegasus, Ricky Fuji, Dean Malenko and everyone on that show!
Daniel Johnson: Yes, it was a great show to watch and re-watch! I also had just a few more non-tournament related questions. I always like to hear about ribs and road stories. Do you have any that you would be able to share? ACH: Haha. Old Arik Cannon pulls ribs on me all the time. I’m just going to say that!
Daniel Johnson: Do you have any plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in the next five years? ACH: Somewhere doing what I love around people I love! I can’t see inside the future, brother. But bet your top dollar that I will be feeling the same way about wrestling the way I did growing up!
Daniel Johnson: As part of my last few questions I like to ask five non-wrestling related questions just to bring a little uniqueness to the interview. If you don’t have an answer or don’t want to answer one of them just feel free to say, “skip.” Outside of wrestling, what television shows do you enjoy watching these days? ACH: Dragon Ball Z (that was easy!), Martin, The Wayne Bros., Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil and every show on The ’90s Are All That.
Daniel Johnson: What was your favorite movie that came out this year? ACH: The Avengers.
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite food that you tried for the first time this year? ACH: A California roll. Good looking out Davey Vega.
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite song to come out this year? ACH: I have been using Lupe Fiasco “The Show Goes On” for some time now. I don’t plan on changing it!
Daniel Johnson: Did you vote in your last local election? If so would you be willing to say for who? ACH: Skip.
Daniel Johnson: No problem. This is a broad question, but one I try to ask everyone: What is the weirdest part of being a professional wrestler? ACH: Being half naked and rolling around with oiled up men! Lol.
Daniel Johnson: My last question is just is there anything you would like to add or talk about that we haven’t talked about already? ACH: Um. I don’t have anything, bro. Oh! I would like people to check out all the places I wrestle for via Smart Mark Video!
Witness ACH’s performance in the final match of Beyond Wrestling: Tournament for Tomorrow! Here he takes on Aaron Epic after already defeating AR Fox and Pinkie Sanchez in the same night:
Here is one reason I hope that the WWE Network finally launches at some point this year. The long rumored cruiserweight show would give WWE the opportunity to showcase a genre of wrestling that hasn’t been highlighted in the company in…well just about has never been highlighted in the company. Even if the company does not end up signing a whole bunch of cruiserweight talents with their massive tape library a regular from the vault show dedicated to cruiserweight wrestling could be intriguing.
As for the match itself it is nice and tight. Also, I won’t spoil it, but I will say that there is an awesome setup to the Texas Cloverleaf at one point.
This match has a little bit of it all. Plenty of mat wrestling, some high flying and even some power moves thrown in. Although Dynamite Kid and Dean Malenko are the two smark favorites in this match, I think Dean Malenko and Davey Boy Smith might have the best chemistry. The two could have worked a great “big man vs. little man” singles match. True, they do not have Kevin Nash/Rey Mysterio size discrepancy going, but Malenko was smaller enough to make it work. Plus, Davey Boy looks like he’s chiseled out of granite here.
Yet, the true dream match is still in Dean Malenko/Dynamite Kid. It’s a shame they never had an extended feud in a major American promotion. Even if they were in WCW with the commentators completely ignoring their matches while they cracked lame jokes about the New World Odor, I’m sure the encounters would have been great.
WCW closed its doors over 10 years ago when it was purchased by the WWF and as such the future looked bleak for cruiserweights. Never known for pushing its smaller talents the WWF and later WWE at least tried to have a cruiserweight division.
Shane Helms came in with the WCW Cruiserweight Championship and eventually dropped it to Billy Kidman. While Kidman had some decent matches, a year later he was the only wrestler known primarily for his work in WCW to hold the title. Eventually, the title, which was now known as the WWE Cruiserweight Championship was given to the renamed Gregory Helms and promptly forgotten for a year. Then it was given to Chavo Guerrero and forgotten for half a year. Finally, the title was put on comedy wrestler Hornswoggle and forgotten about until at least 2012.
However, what if instead of letting the title gradually die, the WWF instead brought in as many of WCW’s former cruiserweights as they could get their hands on? They’d probably book them horribly and the title would die anyways. Still, here is the top 10 WCW cruiserweights who never made it to WWF/WWE TV!
1. Jushin “Thunder” Liger
Despite holding the forgotten version of the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship, international sensation Jushin “Thunder” Liger never wrestled a single match on WWF/WWE television. Snagging Liger in the early to mid-1990s may have been ideal for two reasons. First, Liger was arguably in his physical prime. Second, Liger would have been an interesting fit during the New Generation Era. Even if the WWF didn’t give him a strong push just imagine the matches he would have had with Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and the 1-2-3 Kid just to name a few. Yet, Liger has had a lengthy career and would have been a strong presence even about seven or eight years later when the WWF absorbed WCW.
2. Alex Wright
I have often thought that if how successful a wrestler will be relied solely on their talent then Alex Wright would have had multiple WWE Championship reigns. I really wanted to put Wright at the very top of this list and would have, if it wasn’t for the undisputable awesomeness that is Jushin “Thunder” Liger. While it may be a little farfetched to say Wright could do it all, he had an impressive range both inside and outside the ring. Technical wrestling? Check. High flying ? Check. Ability to read the crowd? Check. Also, while his German accent might have annoyed some fans, he was criminally underrated in his interview skills. Don’t let the voice fool you! Wright was nowhere near Brakus territory.
3. La Parka
Just about anyone could see, especially in his later WCW career that La Parka was hardly just a skeleton. Although he may not have always technically been a cruiserweight, he pretty much exclusively wrestled against cruiserweights and that is good enough for me. La Parka was let go before WCW closed down and the WWF should have snatched him up then. Forget being solely in the cruiserweight division! The chairman of WCW would have fit perfectly into the WWF’s hardcore division! Even now it would be fun to see La Parka (or L.A. Park as he is now known) make a cameo in the WWE. Still, if La Parka never appears in the WWE, he at least is doing pretty well for himself in AAA.
4. Disco Inferno
Disco Inferno always seemed like he would be a better fit for the WWF than WCW. At least before Vince Russo came to the company, WCW was known as being more of a pure wrestling company than the WWF. Yet, even among the Dean Malenkos, Chris Jerichos and Eddie Guerreros, plenty of gimmick wrestlers with less than ideal workrates existed. I am not sure when Disco Inferno would have worked best in the WWF. He seems like he would have worked in the New Generation Era, but probably would have come off as bad as those occupational gimmicks that mid-1990s wrestling fans would like to forget. Since he at least had a personality and could be funny perhaps he could have worked as a manager for lower card guys after WCW was purchased.
5. Lenny Lane
Even before WCW saw fit to give Lenny Lane a gimmick and some mic time, I saw some potential in him. At that point on the surface all that stood out about him was that for some reason he wore tights with a Confederate Flag on them and looked like a Chris Jericho clone. Yet, if one actually paid attention to his matches then he or she would see what he was capable of. Oh well, at leasy you can still book him for your next birthday bash. Anyway, Lane would have worked best being brought in with tag team partner Lodi. At the time, the WWF actually had a tag team division and they would have made a great addition as a lower tier team. Think of them as Billy and Chuck, but a few years earlier.
6. Lodi
While not being quite as handy in the ring as Lenny Lane, partner Lodi had one advantage that Lane did not. He probably could have worked in a greater number of scenarios. As mentioned he could have worked well as a lower tier team with Lane, but there is no reason to pigeonhole him. Just look how he transformed himself after his WCW tenure! With this look Lodi would have been good as a serious competitor in either the cruiserweight or hardcore divisions. With his old WCW look he also could have been a fun comedy wrestler. As long as they kept his mouth shut as anyone who has heard him talk can attest that his accent really doesn’t match his WCW look.
7. Blitzkrieg
Probably one of the more sane guys you’ll find in wrestling, Jay Ross, the man who wore the mask of Blitzkrieg retired early his career to become a computer technician. He most likely has a comfortable life that is a lot less stressful than the life a typical full-time wrestler lives. Yet, the greedy side of me wishes he never left and at least went to TNA, if not WWF/WWE. While, I don’t think he ever spoke, Blitzkrieg could give a hell of a performance in the ring. So much so that he won Rookie of the Year from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards in 1999.
8. Damien
Damien or Damian 666 as he is known by his much cooler name, was a wrestler that stood out to me as soon as he came to WCW for purely superficial reasons. Simply put, he looked cool. Anyone who has followed his work in Mexico can attest that he is a flexible wrestler capable of working an array of styles. Damien can play a good henchman as his work in the Mexican stable, Perros del Mal demonstrates. In the WWE he could have worked in a similar position by filling the role of the cruiserweight in a heel stable. It is also worth mentioning that WWE showed interest in him well into his forties according to 411mania.com.
9. Villano IV
Villano IV from the Los Villanos stable of wrestlers was one of the bulkier looking luchadores in WCW. I always thought it was at least unique if nothing else that he had a clone more or less when they brought in partner Villano V. Together the two regularly teamed in WCW and were tough to tell apart. Perhaps they could have worked similarly in the WWF as a modern day Mexican Killer Bees team. Hold on a second. That either sounds awesome or completely terrible. I’m not sure which hence why he ranks at number nine.
10. Super Calo
Super Calo bumps Villano V from the 10 spot due mostly to his ability to make gang signs while wearing a mask and still looking completely non-threatening. Additionally, he even had a short stint in ECW proving that he could be extreme. Unfortunately, WCW never saw fit to give him a personality outside of wearing a silver mask and baggy clothing. Still, Calo was among the plethora of luchadores in WCW who viewers could always count on to have an interesting match. They helped to make that Steve “Mongo” McMichael promo that much easier to sit through.
Honorable Mention:
Elix Skipper
Before someone bites my head off for not including Elix Skipper on this list, I’ll say flat out that Skipper should arguably rank in the top three or four. However, Skipper was signed briefly to a contract with the WWF and I think a few glimpses of him made it to WWF TV. Still, Skipper never had a proper run in the WWF/WWE giving me some reason to at least include him as an honorable mention. Since, I left him off of the list I figure that the least I can do is post this:
Correction: Apparently Lenny Lane did make a onetime appearance on the WWE incarnation of ECW. However, he was never under contract and never appeared on either of the company’s two major brands.
If you were a fan of wrestling at the end of the Monday Night Wars you may remember that for a while it looked like the WWF (WWE) would have a monopoly in professional wrestling in the United States. Yeah, I know they still kind of do. However, following March 2001 there was even less competition. TNA hadn’t formed yet and ROH wasn’t even around. One company that was around though was WWA. WWA was kind of like WCW, but with a considerably smaller budget. Oh yeah and it was based in Australia.
The company did not last long and by 2003 it closed its doors, but before that they did, they had one final sendoff with The Reckoning PPV event. In this match there is some pretty good action, but don’t look for much ring psychology. Anyone who is looking for ring psychology in this match must be lost as just by the names in it and the fact that it is a four way bout you know what you are getting into. Tons of high flying and some good spot wrestling. In particular I enjoy the triple submission spot. On a random note it looks like Chis Sabin borrowed some of Dean Malenko’s tights!
