100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
77. Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho (The Bash 2009)
Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio (Jr) had some properly good clashes under the WCW banner in the late-1990s. Their battles over the company's Cruiserweight Title always delivered some excitement, chiefly because Rey was so impressively athletic and Jericho (despite being the bigger man) could keep up with Mysterio's speed without struggling.
If this was a WCW list, you just know that one of Rey's matches vs. Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko or Jericho would've sneaked on here. The good news is that Jericho and Mysterio went at it again in WWE for the beloved Intercontinental Title in 2009. They had a particularly pleasing 'Mask vs. Title' showdown at The Bash in late-June that year, and it turned out to be both a nod and a wink to those who had enjoyed their work in WCW.
Jericho and Rey-Rey repeated some old spots without rehashing just for the sake of it. They knew they could rely on fans to pop for Mysterio's 619 stuff or some of Jericho's trademark moves, but this was more than a mere procession of moves for the sake of moves. These guys had a story to tell, and WWE gave them around 15 minutes to tell it.
A sweet transition out of Rey's 619 attempt into a Walls Of Jericho had everyone in awe, and so did Mysterio wearing a second mask underneath the one Chris attempted to rip clean off. This proved to be a rare example of wrestling babyfaces being pretty smart. Who knew they were capable of that?!
Check the pop for Rey bagging the title and keeping his hood too. Sensational stuff.