Favorite Junior Match of the 1990's

[Guest Tim Cooke]

What the title says-

 

Favorite Match-

 

3/16/96 Juventud Guerrera v Rey Misterio Jr. (Tijuana, Mexico)

 

The best building Juniors match that I have ever seen.  The moves that they present in this match are not only outstanding (and in Rey Jr's case, phenomenal high spots) but all of the moves build to the next, make sense in how they are done, and don't make it seem like such a highspot fest, which the 3/9/96 match in ECW that they had a week prior tended to do.

 

The match begins with solid mat work, some of which is lucha, some of which is NJ Juniors, and some of which is UWF-I style.  From there they build beautifully, so wonderful that for the first 22 minutes, I can't find a flaw in this match.  Then Konan decided to fuck up the match and send a run in with his boys.  Then he makes the save to be the hero of the day.  

 

Some will find major flaw with the ending, so much to an extent that they will ride off the match.  But never have I seen such a perfect Junior build.  Not the 8/4/96 Dragon v Otani match, which if the 3/16 match had an ending the equiv of that, it would be super perfect.  The 3/17/96 Liger v Otani is JIP 5 minutes so that will never be able to be judged to the full extent, though the final 15 minutes rule all.  The 2/9/97 Liger/Otani match is great but the build is like that of an AJPW match that even though it is good, it is not better than the 3/16 match and that sort of build was never seen again in NJ Juniors.

 

The Benoit/Sasuke 4/16/94 match also is a candidate just because that match is so much a progression of the Juniors evolution that even if stuff in 1996 surpassed it, the 4/16 match will always be way too memorable and good to forget.

 

I have seen some people try to argue that the 4/16/94 Liger v Sasuke is better in the final because of bigger moves and Benoit "not being good in the finals.  I think the reason people are tricked into thinking Benoit is not as good is because he doesn't pull off as much flash.  But that wasn't his job.  That was Sasuke's.  Benoit was there to reel him back in and give the match such an even tempered flow that either person could have gone over.  I think this is like WCW Cruiserweight Rube fans procaliming Rey to be better than Juvi just because Rey had flashier highspots, when it was Juvi who was the more outsatdning wrestler by far.

 

Tim

[Guest zergdude]

"The 2/9/97 Liger/Otani match is great but the build is like that of an AJPW match that even though it is good, it is not better than the 3/16 match and that sort of build was never seen again in NJ Juniors."

 

I like this match a hell of a lot more than the 3/16 match.  They're probably both top 10 for me, but I think the payoff during the closing minutes of Liger/Ohtani is much better than Rey/Juvi.  As for the build, Rey/Juvi may have been more diverse but it was about equal to the 2/97 match.  Than that finish...  I've seen Lucha matches that I like more than 3/16 and the fact that the Liger/Ohtani style they worked was never tried again makes me like it even more.

 

"The Benoit/Sasuke 4/16/94 match also is a candidate just because that match is so much a progression of the Juniors evolution that even if stuff in 1996 surpassed it, the 4/16 match will always be way too memorable and good to forget."

 

Agreed.  

 

"I have seen some people try to argue that the 4/16/94 Liger v Sasuke is better in the final because of bigger moves and Benoit "not being good in the finals."

 

That's just the people who like to mark out for a bunch of nearfalls and a well built match.  Sasuke/Pegasus is much better in terms of a full match.

 

"I think the reason people are tricked into thinking Benoit is not as good is because he doesn't pull off as much flash.  But that wasn't his job.  That was Sasuke's."

 

Agreed to the highest.

 

"Benoit was there to reel him back in and give the match such an even tempered flow that either person could have gone over.  I think this is like WCW Cruiserweight Rube fans procaliming Rey to be better than Juvi just because Rey had flashier highspots, when it was Juvi who was the more outsatdning wrestler by far."

 

Once again, I couldn't agree more.