20 Must-See WCW Matches
14. Jushin “Thunder” Liger (c) Vs. Brian Pillman – SuperBrawl II (Light-Heavyweight Title)
While WCW was famous for its well of high flying Cruiserweights during the Monday Night Wars, back in the early 90s, the Atlanta promotion were only just taking their first steps into the land of the Junior Heavyweight division.
In 1991, a tournament was held from August to October to crown the first-ever WCW Light Heavyweight Champion; a tournament eventually won by Brian Pillman (defeating Ricky Morton at Halloween Havoc). Pillman would hold the belt for just two months before dropping the title to Jushin Liger on Christmas Day, setting up the rematch for SuperBrawl II on February 29th, 1992.
In the opening contest of the card, Pillman and Liger would go 17 minutes in a match that is widely regarded as one of the best opening bouts in the history of wrestling PPV. Blending pure wrestling and mat-based holds with high spots and aerial offence, the match was a drastic change from the regular action WCW fans were used to.
A classically built contest, both men worked hard to pique the interest of the crowd. Overall, the match was executed excellently and the crowd was fully immersed in the match by the time the referee’s hand hit the canvas for the closing three count.