5 Classic WWE, ECW and WCW matches to watch during social distancing

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: WWE personalities Shawn Michaels (L) and Triple H throw glow sticks into the crowd at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events each year. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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Dean Malenko (c) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.- WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match (The Great American Bash 1996)

As you can see from the video above, Rey Mysterio Jr. and Dean Malenko wrestled A LOT. But for this piece, we’ll focus on their first meeting at the 96 Great American Bash – which took place in my hometown of Baltimore, but that’s not why I put this match here.

This match marked the highly-touted luchador’s WCW debut and he couldn’t have asked for a better foil than the no-nonsense, technically sound, criminally underrated Malenko. And if you’re a younger fan and think that Mysterio is awesome now, you should’ve seen him in the 90s pre-knee injuries; he was like something out of a wrestling video game, with better ring psychology.

For nearly 18 minutes, these two dazzled the audience with their athleticism and in-ring chemistry.

Malenko brought his usual no-nonsense demeanor and mat skills to try and ground his quicker opponent: he worked over Mysterio’s arm for the majority of the match and every time the luchador tried to mount a counterattack, he snuffed it out (there’s a reason why people called him “The Man of 1,000 Holds).

As the match progressed, Mysterio – who showed why he would become one of wrestling’s great babyfaces with his selling in this match – strung some moves together and generate some great nearfalls, primarily with his signature Frankensteiner.

But, in a great bit of psychology, Mysterio went to the well too many times, which allowed Malenko to catch and powerbomb him for the pinfall.

These two were joined at the hip between 96 and 97, so you could pick any Malenko/Mysterio match and not be disappointed, but this one is a good starting point.

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