So I liked Scrooge's idea. Figured if I'm gonna be watching some matches, why not do a little review for them.

Hurricane Helms (w/Molly Holly) v AJ Styles

The logos say this is from WWF Metal, which I don't even remember that show existing, with Kevin Kelly and The Coach on commentary. Some hints put it in shortly after Rumble 2002 I think, as they mention Undertaker killing Maven. AJ starts out with a shove and draws some decent (canned?) heel heat. Hurricane hits a headlock and a pose. Styles with a leapfrog, shoulder block, and a pose of his own. Hurricane comes back with that weird jumping clothesline, and then into a Hip Toss, followed by a flying headscissors for two. The announcers jabber on about the formidable tag team of Kane and Big Show, showing how old even the new stuff today is. Hurricane hits a nice straightjacket camel-clutch thing, which I know has a name. Reversed by Styles who gives a knee to Hurricane's face, and then nails a vicious brainbuster for a 2 count. Styles hits the chinlock as the crowd breaks into a "Molly Molly" chant. Hurricane ducks a big kick, and Hurricane sets him up for a chokeslam, Styles reverses to a back suplex, but Hurricane lands on his feet and drops a sweet snap neckbreaker. Hurricane with a big baaaackbodydrop for 2. He goes up top, and nails a blockbuster, beautifully sold by Styles. Hurricane sets him up for the "Eye of the Hurricane" reverse neckbreaker thingy, but Styles reverses and nails a nice Superkick. Styles goes up and top, and the Shooting Star Press eats nothing but mat. Hurricane to his feet, and sets up the Vertebreaker! Sweet, he nails it, and Helms wins it at 4:38. **. Very clean fun little match that could've really been something if it were twice or three times as long.

http://www.youtube.com/w/AJ-Styles-bs-Hurr...rch=Aj%20Styles

OOOH! That's one match I was thinking of but forgot about. :D

Air Paris & AJ Styles v Evan Karagias & Jamie Noble

From Thunder. The pimping for Superbrawl Revenge puts this in February of 2001. The winner of this tag team match gets themselves into a cruiserweight clusterfuck match, who then gets a Title shot down the road. Styles and Noble start out with a lockup and into a bit of a shoving match. Feeling out process here with simple leg sweeps and snap mares followed by "bring it on bitch" from each guy. Noble goes into an arm wringer taking Styles down, and Style kips up and reverse, and Noble returns the favor. Series of reversals here restuls in a wicked Noble chop. Styles spring off the ropes, hits a hip-toss, and another on Karagaias. All 4 men in the ring now, and stereo backdrops by Styles and Paris. Paris looks like such a poser in his little jersey. Baseball slide dropkick by Styles hits both Karagias and Noble, and Styles backdrops his partner over the top onto the heels (?). Paris and Karagias get into the ring now, and I being to worry. Karagias misses and elbow drop, and Paris whips him off the ropes and eventually hits a nice sit down spinebuster. Tag to Styles, and a doubleteam manuever ending with a senton flip by Styles. Styles gets dumped to the outside, and fired into the guardrail by Noble. Back in the ring, Karagias and Noble hit a guillotine legdrop double team maneuver for two. Some blah doubleteam offense by Noble and Karagias, and Karagias hits a powerslam as the announcers talk about "new commissioner Lance Storm". Double team back elbow by Noble and Karagias, and Noble hits a sweet northern lights suplex, followed by a Mexican Surfboard. Always have loved that move. Noble then drops him and switches it into a dragon sleeper, broken up by Paris. Karagias back in, and a cross body block by both men leads to a double KO. Karagias gets the tag first, and Noble comes in and attempts a tombstone, counters by Styles, who whips him off the ropes and nails a powerbomb. Now comes the hot tag to Paris, who comes in with inverted atomic drops and clotheslines, followed by a reverse Death Valley Driver on Noble. He turns his attention to Karagias, and then takes German Suplex w/bridge from Noble. Styles dumped to the outside, and Karagias with a spring board bodyblock. Noble and Paris now to the top rope, setting up a superplex by Paris. Karagias back in and puts Paris on his shoulders for a Doomsday Device. Noble with the pin, but Karagias breaks it up and wants the pin. Noble shoves him back and covers again, but now Styles breaks it up. Styles dumbs Karagias, and Noble eats a superkick from Paris. Paris and Noble both dump themselves to the outside, and Karagias sneaks up to pfor a 450 on Styles. Paris makes the save, and nails a DDT on Karagias on the outside. Noble now with a dive over the top, but misses. AJ climbs up, and takes off with a Shooting Star to the outside, but only nails Paris. Noble and Karagias with a sweet double dropkick to AJ's head. Back in the ring, Karagias puts Styles up in a powerbomb, and Noble springboards into a dropkick for the win at 11:58. *** Pretty good little match, but not much flow, and the middle felt a bit dead. Very nice for a company about to die.

I actually saw that last match back in the days when YouTube wouldn't freeze up on me. It was a really good one.

I love the commentator's quotes from the Hurricane/Styles match:

"A good fight from this unknown, AJ Styles."
"A win over The Hurricane might be enough to put AJ Styles on the map."

I checked around. The match was dated Jan. 26, 2002, if anyone wants a reference for the match. By April 2002, AJ Styles turned down a $500 a week contract to sign with WWE to be in development; and he later joined TNA in June, and won the X-Division title a week later.

He looked quite good too in the match, and he has a physique that I'm surprised they didn't want to try and work with. He has a good build, and isn't too skinny, which I sometimes think guys like London and Kendrick are.

I'm sure his total lack of ability to cut a promo had something to do with it. Cause I like AJ and all, but his promo skills have yet to impress me. They aren't like, horrible or anything. It isn't laughable, it just isn't good.

The WWE did want to work with Styles; though Styles didn't want to work for WWE.

Styles didn't because the money they offered was a laughable amount considering they weren't losing money like crazy back then like they have been for the last year or so. I'm sure if they offered him a more lucrative deal, he would've signed in a half of a second.

Oh I agree that he would've. Maybe I should've said "I'm suprised they didnt offer him a better deal with more guaranteed money, cause he looked good and stuff".

Funny thing, but I don't believe Noble & Karagias (yuk, yuk, what a wacky PUN) ever got their title shot. However, the LOSERS of this match went on to the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Title Tournament, almost immediately:
http://prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/...w/wcwindex.html

I'm not trying to poke holes on Jamie's review, though. They probably announced that title shot stipulation, then completely forgot about it. Or else they ran out of time before they were shut down. It Was Just WCW, after all. I think Noble & Karagias ended up fighting each other, or something.

Actually, the win got their team into the aforementioned Cruiserweight Clusterfuck Match, not a title shot outright.....that clusterfuck took place at SuperBrawl Revenge, also featuring Shane Helms, Kaz Hayashi, Jimmy Yang, and Prince of Punk. Helms won last eliminating Kaz.

Ohhhhh..now it makes sense.. the "winner of the match". Not necessarily the winning TEAM. I was thinking this tied into the Cruiseweight Tag Team Championship, not the singles belt. Got it.

Yeah, I really didn't make that clear. Could be my general use of the world "clusterfuck" and "title shot". Pretty undescriptive, so I understand the confusion.

Although I wouldn't be suprised if Helms never got his title shot. Although he did end WCW with the strap, didn't he?

Yeah, I mixed up my numbers at first. I looked quick, and though he was getting paid more, but $500 times 52....hm, not that much in WWE terms.

He pretty much would make $26,000 a year. Even Maven was getting twice that much. :D