Comparative Thoughts; Rick Rude v Brian Pillman

This "comparative" thing was basically an idea I had where I take what I wrote about a match, however long ago, and write something new, kind of comparing what I thought about it previously, and this time. Whether I agree, disagree, missed something, etc.

Rick Rude v Brian Pillman (WCW 15/2/92)

--Out of all the “Rude squashes an inferior wrestler without actually squashing him” matches, this has to be by far the best one. Rude goes for a handshake like in the match with Zenk, but Pillman doesn’t accept, and that don’t fly well with Rude who’s got Pillman’s fuzzy little head in a headlock following that. Pillman’s all about his “Flyin’” quickness and that all that so he’s running around and eventually gets to Rude’s leg. Jim Ross calls it “Pillman confusing Rude”, which in turn confused me because I think if you’re the smaller guy going for a leg is good, but whatever, he’s Jim Ross :P. One thing I’ve mentioned before about these Rude “squash” matches is how Rick makes the guy almost looks like he can win, he leaves way for all of his signature “got this in the bag” moves like Air Pillman and all that, and you get the feeling it could be a short while before they give you a Razor Ramon/123 Kid-lioke upset or something. They DON’T, obviously, but you get the feeling it could happen. 

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Rick Rude v Brian Pillman (Pro 15/2/92)

--{{Out of all the “Rude squashes an inferior wrestler without actually squashing him” matches, this has to be by far the best one.}} That, I don't agree with at all. This is a really good match, but the Dustin Rhodes one Worldwide from May is *a lot* better. Otherwise, I probably liked this more than last watch. Still, I think I can still find 100 matches I want on a list more than it. Reading what I wrote before, it sounds like I didn't dig the leg work as much as I did a few days ago, and I have no idea why. It was awesome. Pillman really grinds into working over the leg and Rude has to have one of the greatest limps in the history of acting. I thought he was actually overselling a little, especially before Pillman went the ring post, but there was a time when I literally thought to myself "what if he's actually been hurt?" For a pro wrestler to make me think that; the guy sold terrifically. I absolutely stand my ground on thinking that Pillman could have pulled out a win, and I bought it more this time after watching a lot of his 1991 and seeing he was more of big deal in WCW than I thought. Th final moments were a really awesome hot-streak period, and post-match had Rude holding the belt in the air in a small heap of exhaustion with this "I earned this, motherfucker" look. To have this great smugness through the open period, then after possibly not even ten minutes have the aura of the victor of a hard-fought battle, really says something about a guy. I said this already; this won't make my list, but I'll be damned if it isn't really fucking good and a clear-cut example of how peak Rick Rude could be as good a wrestler as anyone on the planet. I could get the sense that this gets better with every wtach because it definitely did on watch #2.