10 Worst WCW ‘On A Pole’ Matches
3. Silver King Vs. El Dandy Vs. Juventud Guerrera Vs. Villano IV Vs. Psicosis - Nitro (Nov 15, 1999)
Object atop: a piñata.
"Now I know midcarders don't make a lotta money," remarked Vince Russo to set up this match. The clear implication was "Mexicans". "But tonight, I'm gonna give you guys" - the "guys" being the closest Mexican wrestlers to hand, apparently - "the opportunity to make a lotta money."
And thus the first ever Fatal 5-Way Piñata On A Pole Match was born, the stakes for which were a measly-by-mainstream-wrestling-standards $10,000 - about a month's work. Not inconsiderable - but probably not enough to endure the glib, racist treatment to which they were subjected. The meaning of that word is very divisive in 2017 - but if we can't agree on whether or not associating five performers of a certain ethnicity with low incomes and clichéd comedy symbolism meets the criteria, the match itself was categorically dumb.
As his four opponents paired up, Villano IV was left to hover on the outskirts of the action, when logic dictated he should have climbed up the pole. All four of his opponents were distracted. Not that that mattered; within seconds, El Dandy bounced into the turnbuckle, and the piñata came tumbling down, nestling in an easy pick-up point on the corner of the canvas...which they had to just ignore, because the scripted wrestling got in the way, rendering genuinely impressive feats of athleticism both moronic and pointless.
Juve then had to reattach the piñata to retrieve it - but not before dropping his People's Elbow tribute as the JR-mocking Oklahoma portrayed WCW as a flea market WWF to an audience who wanted an alternative to it.