#178: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio, Jr., WCW Halloween Havoc (10/26/1997).
This is for Eddie’s WCW Cruiserweight Championship, and also for Misterio’s mask. If he loses, he must unmask.
So, you’ve probably heard about this little gem. This is another universally praised match that I’ve never cared for. Let’s see if that changes today!
There’s not a big story coming into this one. Eddie is the heel champion, and Misterio is the underdog babyface. Eddie’s title is on the line, while Misterio has wagered his mask. In Lucha Libre, the “Luchas de Apuestas” match is the ultimate match to have, for losing your mask is the ultimate disgrace in Mexican wrestling. Misterio losing here would crush him for the rest of his career.
The bell sounds, and the fans are already chanting “Eddie sucks.” He’s talking trash to Misterio, who strikes first. Middle rope arm drag by Misterio, followed by a high monkey flip acorss the ring. Misterio with a crossbody that sends Guerrero to the floor. He goes to fake Guerrero out, but he grabs Misterio and sends him to the floor. He throws Misterio head first into the steel steps next. Back in the ring, Guerrero with a senton from the apron onto Misterio.
Big chop to the chest, followed by a hard uppercut. Misterio comes back with a dropkick to the mouth. Misterio looks for a handspring attack, and Guerrero catches him with a nasty back suplex. Guerrero drops him with a brainbuster for a nearfall. Tilt a whirl backbreaker follows, and Misterio kicks out again. Guerrero looks to rip the mask off, as he goes into an abdominal stretch. He pulls back on the arm, torquing on the ribs.
Guerrero transitions to a pump handle backbreaker next, and gets another nearfall out of that. Guerrero maintains wrist control, as he holds the arms down for some nearfalls. Misterio is able to fight his way up with a springboard DDT off the top rope, which gets a nice pop from the fans. He dropkicks Guerrero to the floor, then comes off the middle rope for an attack. He lands on the apron, and Guerrero dropkicks him to the floor.
Guerrero whips Misterio chest first into the barricade, then brings him back into the ring. Guerrero with a Camel Clutch next, as he goes to rip apart the mask once again. He transitions from that to the Gory Special, named after his father, Gory Guerrero. Misterio with an arm drag out of that, and he misses a dropkick. Guerrero kicks him, then connects with a backbreaker on his shoulders. He grabs the arm and leg for the Bow & Arrow submission next. The crowd continues to chant “Eddie Sucks.”
Nice kick to the face to Misterio, and the referee catches Guerrero’s leg on the ropes during the pin. Guerrero with a hard chop in the corner, and Misterio tries to fight back with punches. Guerrero sends him back first into the turnbuckle, and now he’s hanging upside down. Guerrero goes for a dropkick, but Misterio is able to lift himself up, and Guerrero slides ball first into the Slim Jim turnbuckle! Guerrero goes to the floor, and Misterio hits a Plancha to Guerrero!
Back in the ring, Misterio blocks a Tilt a Whirl into a hurricanrana roll up for 2. Guerrero connects with a clothesline. Misterio looks for the 619, and Guerrero catches him. Misterio turns it into a head scissors that sends Guerrero to the floor. Misterio hits a somersault flip to the floor, right into a hurricanrana! Back in the ring, Misterio hits a Corkscrew Moonsault for a close nearfall. Split leg moonsault by Misterio is blocked by Guerrero, who follows up with a hard powerbomb into a pin for a close nearfall. The crowd is all over Eddie, who lifts Misterio up and drives him spine first into the turnbuckle. Misterio throws Guerrero face first into the turnbuckle. Spinning wheel kick connects, and he goes to the apron. Misterio goes for West Coast Pop, and Guerrero turns it into a Backbreaker. Guerrero goes to the top rope, and misses the Frog Splash, as Misterio avoids it. Guerrero places Misterio on the top rope, and he looks for the back suplex.
He transitions to a Razor’s Edge, but Misterio reverses it into a hurricanrana off the top rope, and that gets him the 3 count! Misterio not only wins the Cruiserweight Title, but he also keeps his mask.
This is a good match. It’s as exciting as any of the Cruiserweight matches during WCW’s heyday in the late 1990s. It has a blistering pace, and even though it takes place during a time period where these matches were the norm for WCW, it finds way to feel fresh. The story was Eddie’s brute strength against Misterio’s high flying offense. No matter how often Misterio flew around the ring, Eddie was right there to crush him with a back breaker, or an uppercut.
I’d almost say Misterio got lucky when he won the match, because Eddie was kicking his ass for the majority of this. But, that’s the trick with aerial offense – sometimes, you just get lucky. And with an ending like that, Eddie probably was completely caught off guard with how ridiculous it was, and that was his undoing. Overall, a really solid effort between two of the greatest exports to ever come from Mexico.
But, is it that good?
I’ll probably get some heat for this, but I think this match is overrated. It’s not at all a bad match. It’s great! It’s exciting and fun. But, so were the other Cruiserweight matches of this time. I personally struggle to see the difference between this and your standard Cruiserweight match on Nitro in 1997. I’ve always had that take when I see this match. It’s an awesome match, but I wouldn’t call it an all time classic like everyone else says.
Am I missing an element here that everyone else sees? I don’t know. I’ll stand by it that this is a great match, and one that everyone should see at least once. But one of the best of all time? I don’t even think this was the best Cruiserweight match of 1997.