The 1997 WWF Lightheavyweight Title Tourney

[Guest Real F'n Show]

Were any of these matches any good? I've read that guys like Essa Rios, Tajiri, Super Crazy (under different name), and Crowbar (under different name) were in this, but I only saw the finals between TAKA and Brian Christopher. Were the other matches any good, and should I try to find the tournament on tape?

[Youth N Asia 0]

Quarterfinals:

-Mr. Aguila defeated Super Loco

-Taka Michinoku defeated Devon Storm

-Scott Taylor defeated Eric Shelly

-Brian Christopher defeated Flash Flanagan

 

Simi Finals:

-Taka Michinoku defeated Mr. Aguila

-Brian Christopher defeated Scott Taylor

 

Finals

-Taka Michinoku defeated Brian Christopher

[Guest Real F'n Show]

thanks, but do you know if these matches were any good, or just short TV matches?

[Youth N Asia 0]

I wish I remembered. I think Kane did a run in and killed both people in a Scott Taylor match...that's about all I remember (I hope that happened and I'm not imagining things)

[Human Fly 0]

Kane killed Scott Taylor and Brian Christopher ran in and pinned him. Do not bother going out of your way to get these matches. The only thing really good I remember was Taylor used a pretty cool top rope DDT to beat Eric Shelly.

 

Does anybody know whatever happened to Eric Shelly? He was a last minute replacement for Jerry Lynn right?

[lomasmoney 0]

Why did they have such no name guys in the tourney. To put the belt over they should have brought in name puro guys to at least put on good matches

[Guest Real F'n Show]

I could of sworn I read Tajiri was in this, also Super Loco is Super Crazy, correct?

[Youth N Asia 0]

Yeah, that's him.

 

They didn't have a clue who to run the division.

[JJMc 0]

He was a last minute replacement for Jerry Lynn right?

Correct.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Wasn't Devon Storm wrestling as Scott Putski?

[Guest Real F'n Show]

I think Devon Storm is Crowbar from WCW

[Steviekick 0]

I think Devon Storm is Crowbar from WCW

Yeah..Dev's Crowbar.

 

Scott Putski's someone else.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

I think Devon Storm is Crowbar from WCW

Yeah..Dev's Crowbar.

 

Scott Putski's someone else.

Damn my brain. At least I still have more brain cells than Tammy Sytch.

[Human Fly 0]

Scott Putski was everything that was wrong with the CW division. He wrestled a total heavyweight style and the only time he ever did any kind of high flying move (plancha from the ring to the floor) he tore up his leg.

 

The WWF's handling of the cruiser division was a huge mess. If they ever gave a class on booking on the fly and how not to do it this would be the study material. Half of the tournament field was composed of guys in for a few shots and Shotgun Saturday Night jobbers. Jerry Lynn was going to be in it but they forgot to tell him and after they had put him in the bracket he had already signed a deal with ECW. They had no desire to spend any kind of money to bring quality guys in. The few quality guys they did bring in were jobbed to heavyweights and killed their credibility. Taka was hot but after a boring feud with Brian Christopher he had no direction for a few months and then a pointless heel turn and the belt was inactive for almost 6 months.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Scott Putski was everything that was wrong with the CW division. He wrestled a total heavyweight style and the only time he ever did any kind of high flying move (plancha from the ring to the floor) he tore up his leg.

 

The WWF's handling of the cruiser division was a huge mess. If they ever gave a class on booking on the fly and how not to do it this would be the study material. Half of the tournament field was composed of guys in for a few shots and Shotgun Saturday Night jobbers. Jerry Lynn was going to be in it but they forgot to tell him and after they had put him in the bracket he had already signed a deal with ECW. They had no desire to spend any kind of money to bring quality guys in. The few quality guys they did bring in were jobbed to heavyweights and killed their credibility. Taka was hot but after a boring feud with Brian Christopher he had no direction for a few months and then a pointless heel turn and the belt was inactive for almost 6 months.

The final years of the titles activeness were questionable too. Gillberg won sometime in 1999, never was seen on WWF TV Again for 10 months, lost to Essa Rios, then Dean Malenko had a run, the title was defended maybe 3 times between August-December 2000, and someone remembered he had it, gave Crash the title to job to Jerry Lynn, screwed him over in 3 weeks, and Xpac got it.

 

Damn whata fucked up title.

[razazteca 0]

Why wasn't Great Saski in the tourny?

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Why wasn't Great Saski in the tourny?

You mean Great Sasuke? Mystery to me, since he was around a few weeks in July.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Hey, I actually refereed a Gillberg Vs. Local Jobber match at a South Jersey high school show in early 2000, in which Gillberg "defended" the WWF Light Heavyweight Title. Had the belt and all.

 

Prestige, indeed.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I think they could've cared less if they got the belt back by then...they seemed to put the belt on someone, forget about it, and change it on someone else a year later.

[Guest Markingout]

Why wasn't Great Saski in the tourny?

You mean Great Sasuke? Mystery to me, since he was around a few weeks in July.

I remember he faced Taka Mickinoku at Canadian Stampede, then the next night we saw THE SPACE FLYING TIGER DROP on WWF TV. (I hope I said that right...)

 

Don't you guys remember, "Los Super Astros,a WWF show with Mexican Luchadores and a few puro guys? I loved that show. Best half an hour of wrestling ever.

 

Anyways,didn't Hardy and Waltman fued for the title in a desprete attempt too give it credibility?

[LivingLegendGaryColeman 0]

yeah, Hardy and Waltman both held it around the time of Invasion. After Malenko held it for a while, he dropped it to Crash, Crash held it, dropped it to Jerry Lynn. That's when they started attempting to make the title "credible", although never booking it on PPV, which led to Jerry Lynn's speech from WWF New York. Hardy and Waltman both got a hold of it that summer, with Waltman feuding with Tajiri and Kidman.

[deancoles 0]

In 2000 Malenko was defending the belt against Essa Rios and Kainetai on Heat,i think he even defended against Stevie Richards(pre RTC) on Metal.Heat was great in the Summer of 2000.