Austin Region, Omaha Subregion, First Round: (7) Roddy Piper vs. (26) Tiger Mask

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round match in the Austin Region, Omaha Subregion. It is a standard one on one match. It will be held at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

#7. Roddy Piper

Vs.

#26. Tiger Mask

​

Polls will be open for three days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

One of the late, beloved childhood favorites of many vs. one of the great junior heavyweights of the 70s and 80s.

In terms of charisma, personality and mic skills, Piper had that in spades and he was a pretty solid technician and a surprisingly apt brawler. Tiger Mask, I'm assuming it's the originator of the gimmick Satoru Sayama, was known for his speed, athletic prowess and high flying abilities. If I remember correctly, Bret Hart once described him as the "Bruce Lee of wrestling."

My guess is that familiarity, nostalgia or just sheer preference will carry Piper to victory here, but I'm personally going with Tiger Mask. He had a highly innovative and varied offense that really allowed him to take out his opponents in a number of different ways.

I like Piper, though I enjoyed listening to him talk, most of the time, much more than seeing him wrestle and Piper was a huge star so it's hard to blame anyone for siding with him but, for me, I'm sticking with Tiger Mask.

 

[OYDK]

Let's not forget here that Tiger Mask was about 5'6, 160 pounds. He was a great lightweight and the only man ever to simultaneously hold the WWF and NWA Junior Heavyweight Championships, but his size is a huge disadvantage in this match.

I think Piper keeps Tiger Mask grounded and effectively takes away his aerial offense and quickness. Throw in Piper's penchant for the funny stuff and Tiger Mask's chances are slim to none of coming out on top.

 

[Sai the Uganda Guy]

Tiger Mask was absolutely amazing in the ring. Piper was absolutely amazing in the mic. Both have had great careers.
However, I have to give this to Piper. Tiger Mask was a great high-flyer, but Piper was a great technician and could very well bring Mask down to the mat and make him tap... even if it takes some dirty tactics from the Hot Rod.
Vote Piper.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

One guarantee is that this match would some how get uncomfortably racist. Advantage Piper with his brawling, cheating and the promoter's need to put quality heels through to maintain some balance in the tournament.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Tiger Mask was one of the best lighweights in history. The man was truly innovative and his lineage is one that is not to be forgotten.

I think Piper takes it though. The size advantage will come into play at some point, and Piper being a good brawler would take advantage of that. Piper is also well versed in using some funny stuff to get the job done. A likely classic this would produce, but Piper comes out on top with some heel tactics.

 

[Bagpipes]

Piper could very well come to the ring with half of his body painted like a tiger.

Sure Tiger Mask was a great performer and has a lasting legacy (what are we on now, Tiger Mask 4 or 5?), but Piper's star severely outshines in this match. His influence on pop culture aside, Piper was a great brawler and would likely pummel Tiger Mask into defeat.

Hit the bagpipes!

 

[Bernkastel]

Tiger Mask was a product of Inoki and NJPW trying to take advantage of the anime and manga boom in the 60's and trying to bring one of those characters to life. Tiger Mask the wrestler was based on the character of the series of the same name, whose plot unsurprisingly borrows from Rikidozan's own career. Tiger Mask along with other characters like Jushin Liger and the earlier failed Azteckaiser were designed to be marketed toward children and teens to introduce them to the NJPW brand. Tiger Mask did have a successful runs in the light heavyweight division and laid the groundwork for the future Juniors division thanks to his program with Dynamite Kid, but the character was a novelty. The character was not designed as a main event level attraction.

Roddy Piper is usually overseeded in these things and draws a massively underseeded mega star from yesteryear and gets bumped out early, but this year he lucks out. Piper did succeed in the main event, even if he was never a world champion. He had successful programs with Hogan, Bruno, Randy Savage, and Bret Hart. Fans look back on Roddy's career with the notion that he should have held a major world title at least once. No one is going to do that with Tiger Mask. Ever.

So Roddy gets my vote.

 

[NSL]

Let's not forget here that Tiger Mask was about 5'6, 160 pounds. He was a great lightweight and the only man ever to simultaneously hold the WWF and NWA Junior Heavyweight Championships, but his size is a huge disadvantage in this match.

Wrong.

I'm a Tiger Mask fan, and he'd be a good opponent for Piper, but there's no way the Scotsman loses here. He's better in the ring than he's remembered for, because of how good he was on the mic. He's too smart to lose a preliminary match like this.

 

[Prince Vee]

Both have a legendary career for themselves. One was great on the mic with his strong sharp and hot words and the other let his ring ability speak for himself. But Piper had good ring skills as well which will be an advantage for him to go over Tiger Mask. On any normal circumstances, I would've went with Tiger Mask but comparatively, on mic and in-ring combined, Rowdy Roddy Piper triumphs over Tiger Mask.

 

[OYDK]

Wrong.

What exactly was I wrong about? Dragon held 10 titles simultaneously but the J-Crown didn't include the WWF Junior Heavyweight title when he won it, thus still making Tiger Mask the only man to hold both of those championships at the same time. Don't see what that had to do with anything really.

Either way, Piper goes over.

 

[NSL]

What exactly was I wrong about? Dragon held 10 titles simultaneously but the J-Crown didn't include the WWF Junior Heavyweight title when he won it, thus still making Tiger Mask the only man to hold both of those championships at the same time. Don't see what that had to do with anything really.

Either way, Piper goes over.

The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was always a part of the J-Crown, and Ultimo Dragon wasn't even the only one to hold it, I was just using him as an example.

But yes, Piper still wins, maybe even moreso, since it's now proven that Tiger Mask's big accomplishment has also been accomplished by 6 other people.

 

[nightmare]

Tiger would get some shots in, but then Piper does what he does best & he gets the crowd riled up while he toys around with the furry little guy. Not a big problem for Roddy to move on here.

 

[OYDK]

The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was always a part of the J-Crown, and Ultimo Dragon wasn't even the only one to hold it, I was just using him as an example.

But yes, Piper still wins, maybe even moreso, since it's now proven that Tiger Mask's big accomplishment has also been accomplished by 6 other people.

Dude, the WWF Light Heavyweight title and the WWF Junior Heavyweight title are two completely different championships. The Light Heavyweight tile was a friggin prop that meant nothing while the Junior Heavyweight title had at least some prestige for a while. My point stands, Tiger Mask was the only man to hold the two championships I mentioned. I never used it as a reason for why Tiger Mask should win so I don't understand why you pointed it out. And you were wrong to boot.

Had Tiger Mask only held the Light Heavyweight title, this wouldn't even be close. I should say, it would be more of a blowout than it will end up being anyway.

 

[Harthan]

Tiger Mask was twice named to the highly prestigious honor of Best Technical Wrestler (now the Bryan Danielson Award) by the Wrestling Observer, so I believe it's no question that he's a vastly superior in-ring competitor to Roddy. Roddy can boast size, but let's not forget that perhaps Tiger Mask's most famous opponent - Dynamite Kid - was, while short, actually very heavy at 229 billed, with Roddy billed at 230, and Tiger Mask has taken down Dynamite Kid before. Roddy's biggest new advantage versus Tiger Mask would be reach, not really weight, but to a high flyer and grappler like Tiger Mask, I don't know that that matters as much. Roddy can win this match if he can force a brawl, but let's face it - put a solid striker up against a world class grappler, and my bet is Tiger Mask can put this match where he wants it.

Another angle here is this - Tiger Mask is several times over a champion of the highest pedigree at his weight, and he's from an era when the weight classes attached to titles mattered. Roddy is well known as never having been able to win the big one, and that matters here too - Tiger Mask can step into the ring with the confidence that he can get it done with the lights on bright. Piper, ultimately, cannot.

I think Tiger Mask can handle the weight advantage that Roddy has without trouble. I think he can wrestle circles around him and is more than good enough to avoid being caught in a brawl. Furthermore, I think Tiger Mask has gotten it done more than once on the big stage, and Roddy will always go down as the guy who never quite did. Roddy's only hope is to cheat, as it so often was in life, and frankly, that's as likely to get him disqualified as it is to get him a win.

Tiger Mask is definitely my pick here.

 

[Tastycles]

Tiger Mask is cool I guess, but I just don't think he is in the same domain as Rowdy Roddy Piper. A guy who has, like Booker T, transcended professional wrestling and who has had great success in the ring is not going to lose, in the USA at least, to a very talented Tiger Mask who's success was big but in a totally different environment. This is a ham fisted post, but the predominant reason for that is that it just feels right for Piper to win.