20 Must-See WCW Matches
19. Chris Jericho Vs. Dean Malenko – Slamboree ’98 (Cruiserweight Title)
The Dean Malenko/Chris Jericho feud of ‘98 had everything a fan could want from a great wrestling angle: exciting in-ring action, emotional storytelling and shocking surprises. All of which made for great TV and a rivalry that will be remembered fondly by all those who witnessed it.
Having failed to defeat Jericho on his previous attempts at the gold, Malenko would go on hiatus from WCW, seemingly bringing the feud to an end; with “The Man of 1000 Holds” apparently conceding to the self-proclaimed “Man of 1004 Holds”.
That is until Slamboree, when the mysterious luchador, Ciclope, won a Battle Royal to determine the new No. 1 Contender to Chris Jericho’s Cruiserweight Championship that same night. When Ciclope peeled off his mask, he revealed himself to be none other than “The Iceman” himself, Dean Malenko.
The crowd went absolutely ballistic for the unmasking and the match that followed maintained the crowd excitement throughout with the raucous fans firmly behind Malenko; proving that the Cruiserweight Division was more than capable of running some historic storylines of their own.