Int Region, S.A. Subregion, Second Round: (4) Bruno Sammartino vs. (13)Eddie Guerrero

[klunderbunker]

This is a second round match in the International Region, San Antonio Subregion. It is a standard one on one match held under International Rules, meaning the match is held under the standard rules of the country the match is held in. It will be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Assume one week has passed since the first round match.

#4. Bruno Sammartino

Vs.

#13. Eddie Guerrero

​

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.

 

[PsychoBlack]

My vote goes to Eddie here.

Now before somebody comes in this thread and tries to lynch me, Eddies prime was when he defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE championship. Bruno has similar Strength to Brock although he is severely behind in the categories of Speed, quickness, and does not posses the deep move set that Brock does.

Eddie has faced a guy like Bruno and beat him (albeit not clean, but a win is a win) for the world title. Bruno won't have the luxury of having someone to compare Eddie to seeing as how all of his career was spent fighting Monster heels and guys like Eddie weren't even thought of as being a part of the main event at that point of time.

Eddie dances his way around Bruno lying, cheating and stealing his way into the gimmick rounds where most match ups favor him against any opponent.

 

[Papa Pillman]

I know I'm going to be in the extreme minority here, but...

I'm once again taking Eddie due to the venue factor. I think the San Antonio sub-region was the luckiest draw Eddie could get.

As a Texan, with obviously deep Mexican wrestling roots, San Antonio is the ideal American setting for Eddie. It would be like Eddie having to face Bruno in MSG, or somewhere in Philly or Jersey where Bruno would surely squash him in a few minutes.

I definitely don't think that Eddie would get a clean or decisive win. He wouldn't pin Bruno after a frog splash or anything, but he could outsmart him with some kind of classic Eddie style finish to steal the win, by tricking the ref into DQing Bruno or something similarly sketchy. You know, Lie, Cheat, and Steal.

Bruno was definitely a Northeast star almost exclusively, and in San Antonio the building would be squarely on Eddie's side. And I think he would pull off the victories needed to escape the sub-region and advance. Even in the face of such a dominant opponent.

And just to provide something a little more concrete- he did beat Lesnar by Frog Splash to pin him and win the belt at No Way Out in '04, and Lesnar was a dominant force with a very legit amatuer background who was a similar physical specimen to Bruno.

 

[Tastycles]

Calling Eddie Guerrero overrated is overrated. That being said, while I appreciate his efforts appropriately, the face remains that he was never the biggest name in the company he wrestled in, and as a result he has no business beating a man who held a world title for 7 years. Guerrero was good, Sammartino was great.

 

[Brewski]

Venue is actually important here because it's where Eddie is from. Too bad it's negated though by Bruno's momentum from his huge HOF induction this year. Eddie really is great and I'm sure if he didn't pass he would have achieved a lot more. His legacy was cut short though and Sammartino was champion forever.

I love Eddie a lot more, but Bruno wins this match

 

[8thwotwATG]

I'll take Sammartino to go over Guerrero here. The "Living Legend" carried the WWWF on his back for over a decade, selling out "the mecca of wrestling",MSG, over 200 times. I take nothing away from Eddie, he was a great performer inside the ropes, and was fantastic on the stick also, but his accomplishments are not in the category of Brunos'. I can see Eddie being booked strongly, making Bruno work for his victory, which comes when Eddie gets caught by the ref either lying, cheating, or stealing. Bruno moves on.

 

[ServantofTwilight]

Eddie has faced a guy like Bruno and beat him (albeit not clean, but a win is a win) for the world title. Bruno won't have the luxury of having someone to compare Eddie to seeing as how all of his career was spent fighting Monster heels and guys like Eddie weren't even thought of as being a part of the main event at that point of time.

Except for Antonino Rocca, who Bruno tagged with and wrestled.

Bruno was definitely a Northeast star almost exclusively, and in San Antonio the building would be squarely on Eddie's side. And I think he would pull off the victories needed to escape the sub-region and advance. Even in the face of such a dominant opponent.

Except that Bruno routinely toured. He wrested in Canada, the Midwest, Mexico, California, Austrailia and Japan. And he was over everywhere he went.

And just to provide something a little more concrete- he did beat Lesnar by Frog Splash to pin him and win the belt at No Way Out in '04, and Lesnar was a dominant force with a very legit amatuer background who was a similar physical specimen to Bruno.

Except you forgot the part where he was knocked silly by a F-5, was pinned for forever and was saved by Goldberg's spearing of Lesner. Eddie bringing Goldberg to this match?

Can't believe I have to defend Bruno here.

 

[HBsam31]

I can see the arguments for Eddie, but that win over Lesner is by no means a benchmark here. That was as fluky as a win can get. I respected and liked Eddie as a wrestler, but no way is he beating a guy that carried the title and the company on his back for 7 years. Bruno wins.

 

[Bernkastel]

Now before somebody comes in this thread and tries to lynch me, Eddies prime was when he defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE championship. Bruno has similar Strength to Brock although he is severely behind in the categories of Speed, quickness, and does not posses the deep move set that Brock does.

Wait, wait. You're voting Eddie over Bruno because he looks like Brock Lesnar and he barely won, so by your logic he'd barely beat Bruno? That fine and all except Bruno WAS A MUCH BIGGER AND MORE POPULAR STAR than Brock.

Let's get real here... Eddie spent roughly 2 years as a main eventer before getting cut down in the prime of his life. It was a tragedy, but his career was what it was. And he was nowhere near as big of a star as Bruno in his prime... want proof? Bruno sold out Madison Square Garden over 200 times. Did Eddie do that? I didn't think so. Bruno was the archetype for the "muscle bound juggernaut" gimmick. Goldberg? Batista? Brock? just less successful imitations.

If Eddie was booked to barely beat one imitation of Bruno, and only did so by having another Bruno imitation help him, what hope would he have to be booked to beat the real thing in his prime? None.

This should be an easy vote for Bruno.

 

[The Brain]

Now before somebody comes in this thread and tries to lynch me, Eddies prime was when he defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE championship. Bruno has similar Strength to Brock although he is severely behind in the categories of Speed, quickness, and does not posses the deep move set that Brock does.

I don't think Goldberg has a problem with Bruno. Eddie's on his own here. Look, I like Guerrero as much as anyone, well probably not as much as anyone but I like him. He's just out of his league here. We're talking about a guy that had a combined eleven years as champion betwenn only two title reigns against a guy who was on top for about four months. I was happy to see Guerrero become champion in 2004 but looking back he seemed kind of out of place with that title, didn't he? Bruno seemed out of place without a title because he was a top star for a long time. Bruno is the obvious choice here.

 

[I Heart Cena]

Eddie wins because he is quicker, and has more ring savvy. It will be good, but in the end, Eddie will hit the Frog Splash to defeat Bruno

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

We're seriously having this much of a discussion?

Let's see - on one hand we have the greatest World Champion in the history of (at the very least) North American wrestling. On the other, we have a semi-talented career mid-carder who tasted the big-time prior to passing away.

Eddie was really good, but nowhere near Bruno's league. Eddie doesn't win this match. I'm not even sure how one can form an argument saying otherwise.

 

[D-Man]

Calling Eddie Guerrero overrated is overrated. That being said, while I appreciate his efforts appropriately, the face remains that he was never the biggest name in the company he wrestled in, and as a result he has no business beating a man who held a world title for 7 years. Guerrero was good, Sammartino was great.

This says it all.

It really doesn't matter which time period Bruno wrestled in, who he faced (as compared to the present members of the roster,) and the fact that Eddie Guerrero is his opponent. While I feel Eddie Guerrero is slightly overrated in the eyes of the IWC (but not as much as many smarks believe,) Bruno Sammartino held the world title for two reigns that lasted ELEVEN YEARS. For this reason only, you have to imagine that in that eleven year span, guys like Eddie Guerrero came along and Bruno defeated them.

I can't see any way for Eddie to advance here. Bruno gets my vote without even thinking twice about it.

 

[D-Man]

By the way, the argument about Eddie defeating Brock Lesnar should NEVER be used as an argument in Eddie's favor. If anything, it makes him look like a weaker champion. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Anyone who remembers Eddie's title win should also remember the fact that he only won because Goldberg interfered in the match and costed Brock the title. PERIOD.

2. Eddie only got the title because Brock had already publicized the fact that he was leaving the WWE, post-Wrestlemania.

Eddie's win over Brock Lesnar was (kayfabe) a matter of luck and circumstance. If anything, I believe it makes him look like a weaker champion.

All the more reason why this match should be a walk in the park for Bruno Sammartino.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

No way Eddie should win this match.

He's facing a guy who was arguably the top dog in WWE for 17 years, a guy who was their top dog and champion for over 7 years in 1 run and 4 in the other, what more do you really need?

He sold out MSG more times than anyone. Skillset aside Bruno won a HELL of a lot more than he lost and was a top draw in wrestling for a long, long time. Top guy in WWE who made butt loads of money > guy who was always behind someone else in WWE.

I do enjoy Eddie but give me a break that Eddie wins this.

 

[LSN80]

Now before somebody comes in this thread and tries to lynch me, Eddies prime was when he defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE championship. Bruno has similar Strength to Brock although he is severely behind in the categories of Speed, quickness, and does not posses the deep move set that Brock does.

I'm not going to lynch you, I'm too nice to do that. Just a few points to consider.

1. Goldberg isn't going to be around to spear Bruno to allow Eddie to take advantage. So Eddie's prime, his biggest victory, was due to a spear and a DDT on a title belt. Not going to happen here. Brock had neutralized Eddie's speed and quickness until Goldberg interfered. Bruno would do the same.

2. WWE was in a severe transition period when Guerrero won the belt. And yes, he beat Angle at Wrestlemania, but lost the title to JBL, who was chosen to carry Smackdown, during a down period. Eddie was put into a tag team with Rey Mysterio, and his only other shot at the title came against Batista, which he lost clean. The highlight of Eddie's career was a short title reign when stars were leaving the business(Goldberg, Lesnar, Rock), and he was shortly passed over by JBL. Would JBL beat Bruno? Nah.

3. Bruno headlined MSG and held the WWWF title for 7 years during a boom period for the company. He beat Buddy Rodgers in under a minute , wrestled Lou Thesz to a draw, and was actually requested by the NWA(and Thesz) to wrestle a match for the NWA and WWWF championships, and win. It didn't happen solely because Bruno didn't want the busier schedule.

How the hell does the nature of the way both men were booked suggest Eddie would go over Bruno? The other match Bruno wrestled Thesz, he lost via a fluke pin. Eddie was never booked even remotely that strongly.

Eddie has faced a guy like Bruno and beat him (albeit not clean, but a win is a win) for the world title. Bruno won't have the luxury of having someone to compare Eddie to seeing as how all of his career was spent fighting Monster heels and guys like Eddie weren't even thought of as being a part of the main event at that point of time.

But guys like Bruno were considered part of the main event in Eddie's day. Opponents with limited speed, quickness, and movesets, as you said. Who? JBL, the man who took the title from Eddie, and retained it against him. Bruno would do similar.

Eddie dances his way around Bruno lying, cheating and stealing his way into the gimmick rounds where most match ups favor him against any opponent.

Seeing how the matchup would be Jericho or Mascaras, you may have a point here. The problem is he wouldn't get past Bruno to get there.

 

[deem]

I guess I like Eddie more than most. I marked so hard when he won the title, it was during the period I was most into wrestling and he was probably my favourite at the time, other than perhaps HBK and perhaps The Undertaker.

Literally the only thing going for Eddie here is the location. I don't think it's enough. I'm not sure what I make of the Lesnar argument. It's one of my favourite matches ever and I remember the booking of it really well - Lesnar was dominant, absolutely dominant for the first 50% before becoming frustrated at the resilience of Latino Heat. He still had the match won prior to Goldberg interference, but you can certainly take something from how well Eddie coped with the early pressure against the most dominant champion of the modern era. I think his retain against Angle, with no interference, at Wrestlemania XX is probably his biggest kayfabe piece of form.

Sammartino is undoubtedly tougher, HAS fought similar opponents to Guerrero and done well, the onlyyy question mark is San Antonio. I don't think it's enough. I can't find anything about how he did in wrestlers backyards other than a time limit draw with Baba in Japan.

It'd be weird seeing Bruno work heel here, but I'd need a huge reason to vote Guerrero over him and just the location isn't enough for me.

 

[The Crock]

Eddie was never a real top guy and he's matched up against one of wrestling's biggest stars ever. Ever. Eddie was a midcarder (for the most part), whose career has become a thing of legend because of his tragic, untimely death. I loved Eddie Guerrero as a wrestler, he was entertaining as hell, but he's not on the upper echelon of wrestlers like Bruno is. Regardless of location, I can't imagine that logic should be thrown out the window and that just because this match is in San Antonio, Eddie will suddenly beat a wrestler the likes of which he's never beaten alone. There's no interference to save him here (like it did against Brock) and Eddie will lose.

As much as I like Eddie Guerrero, he has no place winning here.