10 Genius Wrestling Decisions Made Up On The Fly
1. Jay White Vs. Juice Robinson (NJPW G1 Special)
When Jay White suplexed Juice Robinson into the guard rail in their IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship match, Robinson hit so hard that that Jim Ross, doing commentary behind it, was thrown out of his chair and suffered legitimate rib and lung injuries.
It would have been easy for White to have abandoned kayfabe and check up on Ross, but White went the complete other way and doubled down, continuously taunting Ross. Josh Barnett, an MMA legend and Ross’ commentary partner, became enraged. He took off his headset and started chasing White around the ring to a huge pop from the crowd. It enabled the competitors to stall as Ross was checked on at ringside and took Jay White’s chicken-s*** heel persona to a new level.
It’s a testament to White. Most wrestlers would have been scared beyond belief if Josh Barnett started furiously chasing them. White got such strong heat over it too. Whether intended or not, it gave White the rub from Barnett’s legitimate MMA background, and it gave NJPW the confidence to invest and push in White more than ever before.
Robinson ended up winning the match, but White came out the star.