RIP Silver King

Silver King was one of the absolute best wrestlers in the world at the exact time my love of wrestling went from love to all out obsession. When I began college and was finally on my own independent schedule, combined with finally having internet fast enough to regularly use, I dove right into tape trading and acquiring tons of lucha and puro. Silver King was a guy who would regularly be added to my WCW perm tapes, and I sought out his new Japan matches for that reason. That was a great era for him, and I wanted to look back at some matches I remember being standouts.

Falls Count Anywhere Mexican Hardcore Match: Silver King/La Parka vs. Halloween/Damian WCW Nitro 6/7/99

ER: This is the infamous match where these four guys beat the shit out of each other, while Schiavone and Heenan giggle to themselves the entire time because it's a MEXICAN hardcore match.   And it's as crazy and great as you remember. This whole match is made up of these psychopaths interrupting each other's spots by throwing chairs at each other's heads. Halloween topes headfirst into a Parka chairshot, Damian baseball slides Parka off a chair, Silver King gets a chair bounced off his head on his Silver King plancha, Park hits a dive into a seated Damian, Silver King moonsaults with a trash can onto everyone; it's constant insanity and really should have been treated with flat out awe and respect. These guys were all total asskickers here and should have been treated like gods backstage. Trash cans get bounced off heads, Silver King hits a tornado DDT off the apron through a table on Halloween, Halloween shows what a bump god he was going to be for the next several years, La Parka powerbombs Damian through a table and Damian KICKS OUT! Damian probably still regrets kicking out of the table bomb, as Parka then immediately powerbombs him through two set up chairs that DO NOT BUDGE. It's absolutely sick and Damian gets pinned while his kidneys contemplate whether or not to keep functioning. Damian had taken a couple wicked flipping bumps off lariats earlier in the match, another example of Damian under the radar stealing the show in a WCW match. Total legendary brawl during the hardcore era, as violent as it ever was.

Silver King/El Dandy/Villano V/Damian vs. Kendall Windham/Barry Windham/Curt Hennig/Bobby Duncum Jr. WCW Thunder 6/24/99

ER: What a killer little gem. The luchadors aren't treated like a joke even though the Rednecks all tower over them. Rednecks treat them like total equals which is practically guaranteed to get an awesome result. This was tremendous. The Rednecks didn't have to be this generous to the luchadors, but the match was given enough time that every single person got time to shine. This was a great complementary effort with some fantastic moments. This is a total El Dandy showcase, he gets to wail on so many Rednecks with his big time whip crack punches, and the fact the crowd was really responding to Dandy (and all the luchadors) made this extra special. There was a fun run where each member of the lucha team got to hit a big move off the top, with a Redneck bumping big for it. Silver King and Dandy each hit big missile dropkicks, Villano V hit a heavy crossbody, and when it got to Damian they added some great psychology by having Hennig sidestep it. Rednecks transitioned to offense and cashed in on all the big bumps they took. Hennig especially looked mean, throwing hot punches and hitting real stiff in general. At one point during a casual luchador corner headstand Hennig just cuts it off with a quick headbutt to the dick. I've never seen that before and it rocketed Hennig up my list of great workers. This was during Barry's absurd "pretty sure he's wearing women's jean shorts" period, but Windham was nicely motivated and moved like his body was healed, so had some nice moments. Duncum was a fun overlooked guy, I like his more John Nord slower bruiser style, kicking Silver King right in the face at one point. Kendall gets to seal the deal on this match, hitting a mammoth headlock style bulldog on King, King taking it like a total nutbar. Great showcase for 8 really fun wrestlers, really shows how well the fans would have accepted luchadors as legit guys if they were actually treated regularly as legit guys.

Silver King/Villano IV/Villano V vs. La Parka/Juventud Guerrera/Psychosis WCW Thunder 9/30/99

ER: Another one of those great WCW compact trios matches that deliver on it's on paper delicious junkfood promise. These things move quick, and it's cool when every guy in the match totally delivers during their moments. King hits some nice power and agility spots, big spinkick, big bump flipping off the top rope and landing on his stomach, always seemed at the center of the important action. Villanos looked like killers and hit one of the great tandem bits of offense here, a sky high flapjack into gutbuster on Juvy. The way Juvy's chest sticks the landing over their knees is disgusting, the whole move looked designed to kill. Parka worked like a maniacal goofball throughout, and we got an awesome spot where the Villanos caught a Juvy springboard 450 to the floor (yep) and then Parka wiped out everyone with a suicide dive. Juvy was a terror throughout, always flying into frame with a fast wild springboard attack, and Psychosis misses a couple big spots with gusto and plants his big guillotine leg for the win. This whole thing was good and even had time to take a couple pace shifts, giving us a nice Villanos control segment in the middle of some big highspots. These guys always shone when given the chance, just another of countless examples by this point.

We are planning on celebrating some more Silver King over the next several days. This one is hitting me hard and I really want to enjoy justifying my love for the guy.

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My Favorite Wrestling: WCW Worldwide 3/27/99 & 4/3/99

3/27/99

Holy lord, I have no idea where this episode was sourced from, what local feed from whatever state in America this was originally taped from, but I love local TV. And whomever originally recorded this episode of Worldwide in whatever state they live in, have a local news anchor named......STORM FIELD!!! Storm Motherfucking Field starts off this episode of Worldwide by pimping the March of Dimes, and it's really awesome that things are working out so well for him after leaving Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. I mean holy shit, Storm Field.

1. Barry Horowitz vs. Johnny Swinger

Damn Horowitz was a monster here! He comes out wearing his rad gold suspenders, and from there it is just a beatdown on poor Swinger. Swinger finally draws the card of someone other than Finlay or Regal, finally gonna get a chance to not get beaten within an inch of his life...and that's when Horowitz works stiffer than I have ever seen him work before. Just punching and chopping and elbowing and throwing dropkicks like Swinger was a trainee in Gaea Girls. I've always enjoyed Barry, but I need more of THIS Barry.

2. La Parka vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Yeah buddy! Always fun getting to watch these two do their thing. Crazy to think that 13 years later Parka is probably the most relevant guy out of these sets. I mean, he's one of the only guys who is still active, but he's also a major star. Not sure who would have predicted that in 1999. Here we get some fun dives, some dancing, and some big bumps. Who can hate?

4/3/99

You know this is going to be a fucking awesome episode because it starts out with a crowd pan and there is a woman in her 20s holding up a sign that says "Take me Back Stage". I guarantee you that sign and the ensuing events that assuredly happened were not even in the top 10 biggest mistakes that woman has made in her life.

1. Kendall Windham vs. Bobby Duncam Jr.

YESSS! Syndicated dream match for me right here. This had to have been right around when they started the West Texas Rednecks. I thought they had already started when I was in college, but I clearly must be wrong as there is no mention of them here. I wish this could have gotten 12 minutes, but it only goes about 3-4. Still, they cram a bunch in with both guys throwing bombs and the action going all over the ring, ending in a count out. I wish this match up was on every episode.

2. Kidman vs. Evan Karagias

And then we end the evening on this. Kidman matches are really fun when he's against somebody with great offense, because Kidman can bump like a complete lunatic. I'll level with you, Evan Karagias does not have great offense. Or good offense. Or...offense. So, this stank. Karagias was super awkward and not great at taking offense, and if you weren't great at taking offense then you may die against Kidman. Karagias does manage to powerbomb Kidman. It turns out the trick is to use a gutwrench. Evan cracked the code! Then he tried a regular powerbomb, Kidman reversed, and it somehow ended with Karagias flying face first into Kidman's knees. Kidman goes up for the shooting star and we all take bets on where Kidman will end up. My guess was "Kidman's chest/chin landing on Kargias' knees". Other guesses included "Kidman's knees on Karagias' chest". The winning answer was "Kidman's chest on Karagias' groin."

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