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[1991-05-17-PWA] Lightning Kid vs Jerry Lynn


Loss

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  • 3 months later...

What I think is most impressive about this series is not just how good the matches are, but also how different they are from each other. So far, Kid and Lynn have proposed three ideas for what wrestling in the 90s could have been. The unifying thread of these matches is that they combine new school offense with old school psychology.

 

I think this is the best of them all. It still has top-notch action, but it's a little slower in pace, and has better character work from Waltman. Allowing the big spots to marinate allows them more time to get over, so that's a wise move. Waltman writes the book on how a scrawny high flyer can still be a really terrific in-ring heel.

 

Lynn does a really impressive dive to the floor, but injures his knee in the process, which leads to Kid masterfully working over his knee. I like how Kid is generally dominant, but they also work in really brief teased comebacks from Lynn to show that he's still in this. Those veteran touches coming from two guys this young and inexperienced is awesome. I love Waltman applying the figure four and holding the ropes in plain sight of the ref, with the referee unable to make him break since this is a no DQ match. This is also the PERFECT finish considering how much of a beating Lynn took. I was hoping they would do it, but didn't expect it.

 

When I watch these matches, it's not so much that I'm impressed with their athleticism (although I am). It's more that they create an atmosphere where I'm seriously wondering what's going to happen next. And the reason for that is that everything seems critical. This is worked in some hole in the wall, just like their other matches, but the match itself is anything but minor league. It could have gotten over in any arena, in any promotion in the world.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I suspect that the date disconnects are continuing. Going by the commentary this match is clearly part of an already-ongoing feud, but the previous match actually seems to have more of a finality to it.

 

That said, each match has had a different feel to it and even though this comes off as more of a table-setting match, it's a chance for Kid to shine working as a dominant heel--not easy when you're a scrawny 18-year old kid, but he pulls it off. Some of his legwork suffers from pretty wonky execution but this match layout as with the others is absolutely top-notch. Other than a few teases, Lynn is basically on defense from the knee injury on the plancha until the end, when the match is finally stopped.

 

A lot of my match evaluations for either this or the '80s sets are based on expectations. I'm definitely a sucker for an unexpectedly good performance (John Studd in his one AWA appearance is the one that comes immediately to mind). So, I still think the first match (or first that we see) is the best of this program--I went in expecting a curiosity and got a MOTYC candidate. Now, fairly or not, I'm going in expecting to see MOTYCs which puts both guys in a corner already. But this is definitely another notch in the Kid's belt as a worker of great ring smarts on top of his copious athletic talent.

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Another terrific match from this feud, with an interesting finish that made great use of the no-DQ stip. I didn't like it quite as much as the other two matches, because it didn't feel quite as wild. But man, that was hell of a bump Lynn took to set up the finishing stretch. And kudos to them for having the courage of their convictions in seeing it through.

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Lynn misses a leap to the middle ropes so Kid just German suplexes him. Don’t know if that was planned but it worked. Lynn does a dragon leg screw but Kid totally no sold it. Lots of big moves by both guys. Kid start busting out all types of leg submissions. Who knew he had this in him. Kid is relentless with working the leg and it deservingly gets him the win. Real impressive showing from Kid.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 year later...

I had trouble watching this one, and that's because of the ridiculously over-the-top announcing. Fairly or not, I judge most matches by the entire package, so it's possible for a well-worked match to become pedestrian or worse due to factors other than the work in the ring, and that was the case here.

 

I don't know where Mick Karch learned how to call a match, but he should ask for his money back. I thought Joey Styles was ridiculous with his constant "OH MY GOD!" stuff, but Karch took it to another level, because he roared that phrase every time Waltman touched Lynn. When these guys are throwing chairs and using the bell to make each other bleed buckets, I can understand being this emotional. But the match we saw called for JR and one of his talks on game plans, specifically concerning Waltman making hash out of Lynn's knee. Instead, we got Karch and his sidekick doing everything but hitting Waltman with a chair to get him away from Lynn, and that's just wrong. No wonder the PWA never lasted with announcing like this.

 

Add to the mix the constant attacks by the color guy on the WWF and the constant bragging about how the PWA lets its guys wrestle, and a stellar performance by Waltman, astoundingly good for his age and experience level, is rendered nearly irrelevant. Ditto Lynn's performance in the role of the babyface who simply won't quit even though his career will almost certainly be ended if he doesn't. If I'm not mistaken, the referee stopped the match and gave it to Waltman; it was tough to tell with Karch and his buddy throwing their thousandth fit in the last twenty minutes.

 

I notice that these two have a fourth match coming up down in Dallas in July, and I'm looking forward to watching them go at it again, this time with a sensible human being in the booth instead of a couple of screaming nincompoops.

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  • 2 years later...
  • GSR changed the title to [1991-05-17-PWA] Lightning Kid vs Jerry Lynn

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