First Round: Miami - Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Kerry Von Erich

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round matchup in the Miami Subregion. The ring and arena are universal throughout the first round and the organization is not a factor. There is a 20 minute time limit. Vote using any criteria you like. Most votes in the poll at the end of the time period wins. In the case of a tie we will go off of the number of written votes. In the case of a second tie, both are eliminated.

Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida.

Jushin Thunder Liger

Vs.

Kerry Von Erich

Voting is open for 4 days.

 

[a0161613]

Von Erich is a bit meh to me. I mean he had the legacy and a decent look but threw it away with the lifestyle.

Liger is a legend and has had enough mainstream exposure to go further than most of the Japanese guys in this tourney.

 

[pun2003hh]

Liger is an absolute legend in this business who has competed virtually everywhere. He is a technical and high flying marvel. Kerry on the other hand was a promising talent who had a measure of success, but had his career cut short due to a rough lifestyle. I don't think Terry at his best could hold a candle to Liger.

Terry gets bonus points for providing the world with Lacey Von Erich, but the win goes to Liger.

 

[Thriller Ant]

Liger.

He is one of the guys who brought the Japanese style to the U.S after many great years in Japan and is still active today. Von Erich is a good wrestler, but Liger is a living legend.

 

[D-Man]

Speed versus power. I love these matchups.

Too bad for Von Erich that Liger is an extremely tough opponent. Even though the Von Erichs are legendary in the sport of pro-wrestling, it was mostly because of their booking ability and not because of their in-ring ability.

Liger takes this one.

 

[GenMe]

Kerry was a good wrestler with tons of success. As for liger he is a freaking legend in the wrestling business who accomplished a lot in side the ring. He had incredible high flying skills and a great technical wrestler. So me vote goes to Liger.

 

[Theo Mays]

I love me some Texas Tornado. I think he could have been an absolute solid midcard in the WWE but his demons got in his way. But Liger should win this one. Liger is an absolute legend and like Thriller said he brought the Japanese style here in the US. This would be a great match, a nice battle of speed and strength. In the end Liger gets the W.

 

[Shocky]

Never understood the love for Kerry Von Erich. Biggest name from a family of guys that all died mostly due to their own hands. Sorry, but the early death doesn't get sympathy votes from me. Do I give the man credit for wrestling with one foot, hell yes, but I still don't give sympathy to that.

Jushin Liger, along with Muta, opened me up to Japanese wrestling. His matches with Pillman are top notch, and among my favorites. If you want to talk about a guy that came back from some shit, check out his match with Mysterio from Starrcade 96 when he came back from a Brain Tumor (Liger fans correct me if I'm wrong). Mysterio was in the prime of his WCW career, and Liger made him his bitch out of his prime.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Damn. I love The Texas Tornado, but he drew one of the 15 or so wrestlers that I'd have to vote for over him. Von Erich has the wrestling heritage factor going for him, but Liger, when we take into account what he has accomplished inside and outside of the ring, is the most important light heavyweight professional wrestler of all time. May the Von Erich clan have better luck next year.

 

[mrsavagelife23]

Von Erich is a beast but Liger is to fast and just to good for him ligers had many classic matches while most of von erichs were in the tag ranks my vote goes to liger

 

[ZeroVX]

Liger wins this, hands down. To be honest, Kerry never really impressed me. His in-ring skills were decent. Decent, but nothing really special. His promo skills were also alright. I just never really felt he was main-event material. No disrespect intended, but it seemed like most of his popularity was due to his father and his family. Liger on the other hand is one of the best to ever come out of Japan. His in-ring abilities are well-known, and the matches he's taken part in are considered classics by almost anyone. He's so well-known that people outside of Japan recognize him as a legend. Definitely voting for Liger.

 

[jmt225]

I love, love, LOVE Kerry Von Erich/The Texas Tornado. He was one of my first favorite wrestlers when I was a kid, and I'll always have a special place in my heart for him.

However, even I can admit that he doesn't deserve to go past Jushin Liger in this match. No way. Had Kerry went on and had a full career, then yeah... maybe he might be the legendary figure to the sport that Liger is, but since he didn't and since he's not, it would not be fair to vote for him over Liger.

Now, in a kayfabe match, first of all it'd be a good one, and fairly close, but Liger would find a way to put Kerry away. Kerry had a ton of heart and was a tough motherfucker, but he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He made a lot of boneheaded mistakes in a lot of matches, and all it takes it one mistake against Liger and before you know it, your shoulders are being pinned to the mat 1, 2, 3. That would undoubtedly happen in a match between this two.

 

[Tastycles]

Jushin Liger has probably the best entrance music in the history of wrestling, and I am inclined to vote for him on that basis alone. But, I'll be fair. There's something about Von Erich that makes me really like him, but I can't quite put my finger on it. That being said, he was only ever truly over in his father's promotion, in terms of actually winning matches, one short IC reign aside, which was exceptionally short for the era, as was his NWA reign, something attributable to his daemons no doubt. Von Erich was good, but he never really made it on the national level, whereas Liger has done on the international level. Wins over Benoit and Mysterio on US soil should go to show that the man could win there. Liger wins.

 

[FromTheSouth]

Look X, I'm voting for a Japanese guy!

Liger is a legend. The fact that I have heard of him means he meant a lot to Japanese wrestling. He has won everything there is to win in Japan and was quite successful in America. Tornado was a midcard guy in the WWF, but never quite made it. He killed jobbers, but never quite got a big enough win to convince me that he has a chance against Liger. Seriously, I see Liger ducking under a tornado punch or clothesline, rattling off five speed moves and getting the pin.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Kerry Von Erich couldn't manage to beat some scrubs back in his day. Jerry Lawler goes down as one of the more overrated world champions in his time, and Kerry couldn't even beat him due to the amount of blood lost. Against a skilled technician like Liger, this will be no match. Von Erich has heart and courage, but skills trump those things.

Liger wins.

 

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

Man, Kerry Von Erich is just totally outclassed here. This is Liger he's up against. I don't want to sound like a blind mark but Kerry didn't do 1/5 of the things Liger did in the ring in any promotion. Liger was one of the biggest reasons the U.S. knows about Japanese wrestling and got over here despite being from japan. And of course he was one of the best to ever grace the ring with some very memorable matches. Even in a kayfabe match Kerry's heart and moderate ring skill (IMO) wouldn't last five minutes in the same ring as Liger.

 

[Mr. Truth]

Because of Jushin Liger, the announcer name I use for most of my Japanese CaWs on SvR2010 is Thunder. But really, Kerry is was one of the big fish in a small pond. Liger is one of the best cruserweights ever.

 

[Kashagi]

While Von Erich is by no means bad, he cant go over Jushin in my eyes, Kayfabe or otherwise.

Lately I have been watching alot of Japanese wrestling matches due to watching one great match that had me interested. Jushin Liger vs Ultimo Dragon.

Since then I have only watched one Jushin match I havent liked, and even then I didnt hate it, so for introducing me to Japanese wrestling, and looking like a Power Ranger villian, I have to choose Liger.

 

[deem]

Easy win for JTL imo. Just too much depth - Von Erich wouldn't be able to hang with him on the mat, Jushin has too much speed on their feet... Texas T would just get tied up and frustrated by the 41st roll up nearfall, go for some discus clotheslines, Jushin uses his pace to dodge and gets the 42nd roll up for the win. Easy game. Jushin wouldn't be caught with a normal clothesline, let alone when the guy has to turn full circle before hitting it.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

This would be a great strength vs. speed match up. Kerry Von Erch was someone that was a pretty damn good pro wrestler overall. He had the look, he had the size, the strength, the natural athleticism. He had some great matches against the Freebirds, Harley Race, Ric Flair and a number of others. I think his overall potential was hindered by the fact that he made some bad choices in his life, didn't really have anyone looking out for him or to help him out with his personal problems and stayed in World Class for too long.

Liger is one of the first wrestlers to really introduce modern audiences to Japanese wrestling. Liger is arguably the greatest cruiserweight wrestler of all time and has the titles to back it up. He's won every significant cruiserweight championship at least once and even held 9 simultaneously as part of the J-Crown. He has high flying, innovative offense and he's much tougher than a lot of people give him credit for.

I think Liger would come out with the win, but it wouldn't be a cake walk by any stretch. I think Von Erich would be able to give him a competitive match and really make him work for his win. In the end, however, I think Liger's quick pace, high risk offense and overall toughness would wear Von Erich down in the end.

 

[X]

Whew, what a strange but nevertheless awesome match-up this would be with both men in their primes, they'd make the matches Kerry had with the Great Kabuki look like two fat sloths exchanging headlocks in comparison to the action we'd see in this match up. I love Kerry Von Erich, easily my favorite member of the Von Erich family, but alas he never truly was able to become the star that everyone thought he would as his demons got the best of him. Liger on the other hand not only had that potential to be a star, he fulfilled it and became one of the biggest stars in Japanese wrestling history, with continued success all around the globe from his native NJPW to WCW in the US, he won titles everywhere he went and laid the foundations for the entire cruiserweight style of wrestling becoming popular. Liger takes the win here in what would be a great match.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

You have a legendary wrestler going against a member of a legendary wrestling family that should be quite the spectacle. When the Tornado went in the ring, there was something about him. The man could wrestle and did everything you'd want from a professional wrestler. Nothing really stood out about him apart from being a von Erich and his run in WCCW, which is a good resume in of itself. However, stacking up against Liger who made his own legacy, not contributed to it, Kerry hasn't got a way to get the victory. Liger's agility and speed will gave an effect on the way von Erich moves in the ring, giving an increased opportunity for Liger to pull through some good offense.

Basically, the way Liger wrestles and moves will eventually drain Kerry's endurance meter, allowing for Jushin to capitalise on advancing.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Liger was the far, far superior wrestler. Von Erich had the pedigree, but Liger had the skill. I watched a lot Liger matches in the early 90's, and I was amazed. I had never seen a guy do the things he was doing. Great speed, great balance (an underrated quality). I just can't give the win to the Texas freakin' Tornado, even if his last name is Von Erich.

Liger.