WCW Boston: Round 1 Match 8: #21 Steve Corino vs. #44 Mike Awesome

[Shocky]

The following matchup takes place in the WCW Region under WCW Rules in Boston, MA. The ring and the entrance ramp are equal height.

#21: "The King of Old School" Steve Corino

vs.

#44 "The Gladiator" Mike Awesome

 

[klunderbunker]

THis is another match I would love to see. Awesome lived up to his name and then some. He could fly, use power or actually mat wrestle with anyone and for his size that was amazing. Then you have Steve Corino, who is about as good as they come for his size. He is the epitome of a journeyman, which absolutely does not mean he's a bad wrestler. he's quite good at what he does and this will be no exception. As for who wins, I think that you ahve to go with Corino actually, but i won't put up much of an argument.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Corino and Awesome were great at what they did and it would be a great match to see. This is a tough decision but I will pick Corino slightly over Awesome.

 

[Tastycles]

A tough one. Both of them are solid performers, and both of them have put on some great matches. Neither of them relied on hardcore wretling when they were in ECW, but they could both put on an excellent hardcore match when needed. I think this one will be close, but I think Awesome would probably edge it.

Awesome was incredibly agile for someone his size, and he could really fly. He had a range of styles and adapted to his opponent every time. Corino is a great journeyman, and has proved successful and entertaining wherever he's been. I think I'll vote Awesome, but I could definitely be convinced to vote for Corino. Whichever one wins, we could see them go deep into the tournament.

 

[NSL]

I'm really torn here. While I think Awesome would probably win 8 times out of 10, Corino was better in bigger matches. Awesome's only big time matches where he performed well, were all against Tanaka, and he didn't even win all of those.

Corino also has the support of Shadow, which will lead to the support of a majority of posters here. No matter who wins, they have an uphill climb against Nash in Round 2, but not one that they couldn't pull off. This match could change the whole bottom half of this sub-region.

 

[jmt225]

Mike Awesome was overrated as hell, and keep in mind this is coming from one of the biggest original ECW fans on the forum. Was he fun to watch? Sometimes. However, no one wants to see the same shit over and over. Awesome should've built up to his devastating moves instead throwing them all in in every single match, every single fucking day. All his matches were like the new Rambo movie released last year. All gore, no story. But at least Rambo had a reason to destroy his enemies; Awesome just did it without explanation. And that made him lame, in my opinion. Had he did those types of things to people he truly hated and had good storylines with, then fuck... the man would've gone down as one of the all time greats. But overall, he's just a non-shoot New Jack with more impressive moves.

Steve Corino, on the other hand, is one of the best, most entertaining heels we've seen this decade. I'll let Shadow explain this line, as I'm sure he'll do it better then I ever could and with much more passion.

But yeah... I'm voting for Corino. Not only is he a better worker by TONS, but in a WCW ring, I think he would find a way to defeat That 70's Guy.

 

[Stickstar 16]

Yeah NSL is right, Shadow has got Corino, and just wait til he gets on to present his arguement.From the matches i've seen he definately deserves the backing, I find Corino to be capivating with his promo's and he works a solid style with good psychology and a solid moveset.

To be honest i don't know a lot about mike awesome, but i will be doing my research and will ask shadow, but with the backing of someone like Shadow, i'm going with Corino ftw

 

[Shadowmancer]

Im reserving some of the big guns for Corino to go through against Nash. First and possibly most importantly, he is the last guy that Dusty truly put on the Map as a Wrestler with serious chops, case in point look at the Bull Rope Match they had together, that is brilliant heel work by Corino.

He got a Limp Biskit crowd in 1999 to get fairly hot against him, while that may not be too hard, he made that promo believable as anything.

As for his in-ring stuff, he has been given a strap over 50 times, very rarely repeating on Titles. Being the current WWC Universal Title holder is a big deal considering that when he got there he was not even considered to be a title contender at that stage. He has held the ECW Title, NWA Title and the AWA Title, all of which qualify for world title status as they have been defended overseas against local talent from 3 different continents.

Awesome really did only have his blood and a feud with Tanaka. Corino is the man that has been chosen by Mr. Wrestling II to continue on the tradition of Mr. Wrestling, that is a huge honour for anyone as it links you into the history of Wrestling.

 

[Shocky]

Mike Awesome is a great big man. He was a very agile man for his size. While not as big as the Undertaker, the man could fly over the top rope like him. It was impressive, and he had a good run. However, based on the no hardcore environment, and essentially Awesome pretty much only being recognized for his work in hardcore environments, Corino should go over. I don't hink it'll be an easy match, hell, I think Corino is in a shit load of trouble because he's going to have to have a war with Awesome, and then get prepped for Nash, not an easy outing.

 

[Mr. TM]

What a great match to open up this bracket with. We have two different men who are regarded as great by two different sects of wrestling fans who do not herald from the main stream.

Mike Awesome was a great talent. Big men around the world use him as an example as how they can train to move. He was a great talent when he left ECW, but was given a shit character. He lost respect, and to me it seems like he would not have the backing in a keyfabe match.

Steve Corino was and is one of the most respected men in sports entertainment. He is an old guard in carrying on the respectability that is professional wrestling. In a straight up keyfabe match with Mike Awesome, I would have to give the match to him, as I feel that Corino would be booked over Awesome by any booker. Good match, but Corino defiantly edges Awesome in this duel.

 

[Theo Mays]

The thing that decided my mind was that this was in the WCW region. I have these two fairly even. And like Shockey said Awesome thrived off hardcore matches and was average in normal wrestling matches. Corino could go with the best and could thrive in any wrestling element, which gives him the W here from me.

 

[Shadowmancer]

Click here to see who voted for whom

Interesting to see that the people that vote awesome are all lurkers except for Fizzywink, that is disappointing. Corino should be going through to face Kevin Nash in the next round.

 

[Shadowmancer]

I have seen no evidence for why people should vote for Awesome and yet people that never post are voting for Awesome, is that because you are too scared to give what will be a piss poor reason to vote for him. Because you can remember that he is dead. Either that or that there was a good match at One Night Stand. That was against the only opponent he really had any good matches with. This isn't ECW so there are no tables to be used, there are no chairs. Corino has the ability and the experience to take down Awesome. He is called the King of Old School because he can wrestle in the same style that WCW espoused early on. He has taken down bigger guys, he is also the man that is named Mr. Wrestling 3 by Mr. Wrestling II. That is one of the biggest honours that could ever be bestowed upon anyone. Awesome does not deserve to go through because he will make a mistake that a wrestler with the intelligence of Steve Corino will take advantage of for the win.

 

[Worlds_Greatest_Booker]

out of both Awesome and Corino... i gunna go with Awesome as i had liked him in WCW (before his 70's stage) and that i always thought he had a hell of alot of potential in wrestling as he had the tough guy look and the style to match. and i alao think that if he had not have gotten fired by the WWE he would have at least managed to work his way up to the higher midcard level (with a shot at the WWE title and a fued with the undertaker).

the reason i didnt vote for Corino is that yeah i have heard of him, read about him (Wikipedia, interviews etc) and watched some of his matches (e.g. the fued with Homicide) i dont as much about as i do Awesome

so its gotta be Mike Awesome for me

R.I.P
Mike Awesome

 

[Slyfox696]

I have seen no evidence for why people should vote for Awesome

Power, size, and has worked a match in front of a crowd larger than 20 people.

Shadow, we get you're a Corino mark, but it's a shame you let your personal bias get in the way of facts. The fact is that Mike Awesome, in his prime, was quite literally "awesome". With incredible strength, and quickness not usually seen in men his size, Mike Awesome had all the physical tools to take down ANYONE in a 1-on-1 match.

I mean, your whole argument for Corino has been...what exactly? He invaded a Limp Bizkit concert? Seriously? That he's won over 50 titles from promotions that work in venues smaller than the ECW bingo hall? That he can go to a country with a population smaller than the state of Kentucky and win the title of what may not even be the best wrestling organization there anymore?

Great argument Shadow. Perhaps for an encore, you can post a Youtube video that shows Corino can juggle three bowling pins as well.


As for me, I'm going to go with the guy who has the much more impressive physical tools, who has actually worked in a WCW ring, in a WCW environment, and who was actually thought of as important by the major wrestling promotions. And I'd suggest those with some semblance of wrestling intelligence do the same.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

So we've got the standard-bearer for the Old School vs the prototype for great Big-men. Wow, this is a really strong 1st round match.

On the one hand, at the behest of Shadowmancer, I've watched some of Corino's stuff and been impressed. He generates some legit heel heat. He is respected, and hated, and that's hard to do. He doesn't just come out and put down the host city's home sports team for cheap boos. He manufactures it the hard, old school way. And then his matches tell the same story.

Awesome, on the other hand, was a large, cut, agile big man. He was at one time the next incarnation of Sid Justice. His feud with Tanaka was a huge draw for ECW fans, because those matches were intense, insane, and versatile.

So it's the wrestler vs the athlete, and I am torn. If I am not convinced by day's end, I will not vote.

 

[RVDgurl]

Now this is what I like to see- 2 ECW boys going at it! Unfortunately for Mike Awesome, he can't hold a candle to Steve Corino. Awesome was big and fairly agile for his size, but that's about all he had to offer. Corino's career accomplishments speak for themselves. He is a wiley ring veteran who is as solid as they come. His ring psychology was damn near flawless, he possessed solid in ring work and tremendous mic skills.

The King of Old School walks all over Mike Awesome.

 

[Shadowmancer]

What good is being bigger and stronger in a match if you don't use it except against one guy. Corino would be the guy that will work the babyface style in this thing, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to take advantage of the mistakes that Mike Awesome would make due to his size and speed. Corino has had a huge number of japanese tours, you have to be good to be called back as many times as he has.

Sly we also know you have an anti-indy/japan/anything that isn't WWE or TNA bias. doing the Puerto Rico stuff he was asked to come in to help the promotion do better, I would say in the short amount of time that he has been there he has done that. Puerto Rico is one thing but to go to Japan as many times as he has and face of against the guys that he has like Otani, Hashimoto and others and win is more credit then you give him credit for. I must of become a Corino mark for a reason.

And Sly, Corino was going to WCW, and was asked to by Dusty, but WCW shut down before that could happen. We know Corino has had wars with the likes of Homicide in RoH which again is similar in ring style to an old school company except you have all those flippy little wrestlers to go with someone like Corino, how much more impressive is Mike Awesome over a 6'2" guy, not much. So it is hard to argue along the physical side, we know that Awesome is stronger, but Corino is smarter.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

I'm going with Mike Awesome. I think Corino's a good wrestler, but Awesome's matches with Masato Tanaka and Hayabusa are some of my all-time favorites. Also, I have a weak spot for big men with great agility. The sad part about this match though, in my opinion, is that it takes place in WCW, a place where Awesome never took off and where Corino never appeared (although I trust Shadowmancer on his intention to come to WCW before it folded). So, kayfabe, I'm going to go with the guy that was employed by WCW at one point.

 

[Shadowmancer]

So because a person had good matches against two people you are voting for him? Corino has had matches against legends in the business, like Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes, Shinya Hashimoto along with others. he also has had good matches against Christian Cage, Abyss and others. So everyone that voted for Mike Awesome is basing it off on the fact that he was an agile big man and not because as a wrestler he was never portrayed as the sharpest tool in the box. He was someone that needed the guidance of someone like Judge Jeff Jones to point him towards the victory. If you take that into account then Corino has Jack Victory in his corner to counter Judge Jeff Jones, as well as his student Ricky Landell around the ring apron in the style of the Japanese ring boys. So that is two guys to Awesome's one. So we negate the ring guys as possible interference and we have a type of match that Corino has won before against the likes of Abyss.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Steve Corino pulls out my vote in this match-up because he's simply better than Mike Awesome, as the standards of this match are concerned. Its a regular match. No extra limits, or outstanding hardcore elements.

Mike Awesome was almost exactly that. But his greatest days were when he could use a chair to set you up, or a table to put you through. Don't get me wrong, I loved Mike Awesome. But in one-on-one contests, he failed in several ways against weaker athletes than Steve Corino.

On the flip side, Steve Corino outlasted the violent stages of E.C.W, with pure Wrestling skills and abilities. Hes defeated some of the top names and has all the tools to firmly move beyond an above average Big Man in this tough, but passable Round one match-up.