#17: 2 Cold Scorpio

by Eric

Scorpio has somehow been under everybody's radar the last several years. I figured by working for the largest company in Japan throughout all of this decade would keep your name out there, but I've seen so many people talking about how they didn't realize Scorpio was still working and were stunned by his appearances in IWA-MS. Well, even those of us who have been keeping up with Scorpio were stunned by his '08 work. While ROH decided to bring in Jerry Lynn to mentor and teach DA BIZ to their workers, IWA-MS brought in 2 Cold Scorpio. While Lynn was no doubt teaching the youngsters all about the importance of 2.9 roll-up sequences and cool ways to leg drop guys as they lunge at you through the ropes, Scorpio was having great matches with everybody he faced and working different styles each match. He's an amazing flyer because he's a really big guy, and his flying moves have more impact than ANY other flyer I've ever seen. His moves are ridiculously accurate and always dead-on. His aim is insane. Whether he's hitting his somersault leg drop, 450, tumbleweed splash, moonsault, whatever, the move hits and it looks nasty. But he wasn't all about the flying this year. There were matches where he didn't hit one aerial move, and those were great, too! Mixing in some cool punch and kick combos, throwing the elbows and just jiving in general. Scorpio has spent the better part of this decade in NOAH getting headbutted, getting kicked, and getting elbowed, and then giving it all back, so the dude can work indy stiff without any problems. And he did it all without looking like a space pimp from the future.

Recommended 2008 Matches:

~vs. Eddie Kingston (IWA-MS, 3/1/08)
~vs. Mickie Knuckles (IWA-MS, 4/11/08)
~vs. Roderick Strong (IWA-MS, 5/2/08)
~vs. Sami Callihan (IWA-MS, 8/16/08)
~vs. Necro Butcher (IWA-MS, 8/17/08)
~vs. Sami Callihan (IWA-MS, 9/27/08)

Recommended Career Matches:

~vs. Chris Benoit (WCW SuperBrawl III, 2/21/93)
~w/ Marcus Bagwell vs. Steve Austin/Brian Pillman (WCW 5/93)
~vs. Barry Windham (WCW Clash of the Champions 23, 6/16/93)
~w/ Marcus Bagwell vs. Nasty Boys (WCW Halloween Havoc, 10/24/93)
~vs. Eddy Guerrero, ECW, 4/18/95)
~vs. Wild Pegasus (NJPW, 5/3/95)
~vs. Sabu (ECW Cyberslam '96, 2/17/96)
~vs. Shane Douglas (ECW Matter of Respect, 5/11/96)
vs. Chris Jericho vs. Pitbull #2 vs. Shane Douglas (ECW Heatwave '96, 7/15/96)
~Flash Funk vs. Owen Hart (WWE Raw, 2/17/97)
~vs. Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH1 4/15/01)
~w/ Vader vs. Jun Akiyama/Akitoshi Saito (NOAH 12/1/02)
~w/ Yoshinari Ogawa/Richard Slinger vs. Yoshihiro Takayama/Takuma Sano/Takashi Sugiura (NOAH, 12/6/03)
~w/ Eddy Edwards/Mushiking Terry vs. Masao Inoue/Tsuyoshi Kikuchi/Mushiking Joker (NOAH, 9/18/05)
~vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (NOAH, 11/5/05)
~w/ Eddy Edwards vs. Akira Taue/Takuma Sano (NOAH, 4/24/06)

2009 Outlook:

It all depends on whether he chooses to work or not. So far I have not seen his name turn up on any shows, but I'm sure they're out there. IWA-MS cards in general look less appetizing this year, so they might not be bringing him in anymore. If he gets bookings he will continue to look awesome. If we don't get to see him, his odds of making a list are not good.