Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Random Match Review: 8/15/17

GWF Light Heavyweight Championship Two Out of Three Falls: Lightning Kid [c] vs. Jerry Lynn – GWF TV Taping 12/27/91; Sportatorium

The WWE Network’s “Hidden Gems” section is quite the treasure trove of rare wrestling. Here, we have two pioneers of the cruiserweight wrestling style in the US. Jerry Lynn had a run as a cruiserweight division jobber in WCW, while the Lightning Kid rose to fame as the 1-2-3 Kid in the WWF. The WWF didn’t have a cruiserweight division, but Kid’s style gained him popularity, a Tag Team Title run and a shot at the WWF Title in one of the best matches on Raw ever.

Here, in late 1991 (the match aired on TV in early 1992), they weren’t big stars just yet. Lightning Kid won the Light Heavyweight Title in a tournament final over Lynn, with this being the rematch. This wasn’t just your typical Two Out of Three Falls match either. It was based around finishers, as Kid had to get his pinfalls off the Lightning Strike and Lynn could only get points via sleeper.

Kid was the heel and it showed early. The early exchanges were either even or saw Lynn gain the advantage. To turn the tide, Kid suckered him in and got a cheap shot. I always felt Kid was underrated as a heel. Not many people can play a good underdog babyface and unlikable heel. Lynn got the first fall in just under seven minutes with a sleeper that got a big pop. The finisher stipulation was both a positive and negative. Good because when those moves were used, the crowd reacted, but bad because not much else got a great reaction. The fans knew it could only end with two specific moves, so the other stuff was an afterthought. The score was evened with the Lightning Strike tombstone around ten minutes. Just as Lynn was nearing a win in the third fall, Scott Anthony attempted to interfere, but was thwarted. With him out of the way, Lynn used the sleeper to win the title in 13:02.

I enjoyed this match and thought it was good, but it certainly had some issues. For one, the 2 Out of 3 Falls stipulation is one that doesn’t work in short bursts. The interference didn’t feel like it was needed and the finisher stipulation was a slight hindrance. That being said, there was a fair amount to like here. Kid was a strong heel and did so without compromising his high octane offense. The action was good and the exchanges were crisp. All in all, recommended, but not required viewing. [***]

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