From Inside Wrestling
by Harry Burkett
Whether he was talking about Hulk Hogan, Sting, or Dusty Rhodes, Arn Anderson
had a favorite saying during his heyday: "A wise man knows his limitations."
It's doubtful that Anderson was the first person to utter that statement,
but coming from a wrestler, it has special relevance.
Does Rey Misterio Jr. know his limitations? And, if Misterio doesn't admit to any, is he very wise? Or is he downright foolish?
Those questions should be asked each time 356-pound Kevin Nash hoists the 140-pound Misterio eight feet into the air for a powerbomb...and each time Lex Luger lifts Rey like a child and drapes him in the torture rack.
Even in the cruiserweight division, where Misterio isn't considered overmatched, his opponents generally have 50- to 80-pound weight advantages. Cruiserweight champ Billy Kidman outweighs Misterio by 55 pounds.
The fact that Misterio competes on a professional level at all is quite an accomplishment, considering his size.
Why is Misterio suddenly challenging super heavyweights like Nash or Luger? Does it feed his ego...or does he have a death wish? Where is this smug attitude coming from?
Does he know his limitations?
"Every competitor must know his limitations, especially in Lucha Libre," replied Misterio. "If a Luchadore doesn't know his limitations, he will have a broken neck, a broken leg, or possibly even worse within his first few matches. I don't need anyone telling me what I can or can't do. That's up to me to decide. I'm tired of people always talking about my size. If I know how to time a suicide plancha just right, I think I know what opponents I can handle."
That's hard to believe. Since Misterio insists he can handle dangerous wrestlers like Nash and Luger, there can't be too many competitors against whom ne wouldn't try his luck.
"That's right," Misterio admitted. "But I would not be in this sport if I did not believe I could defeat anyone I face. In terms of limitations, I know which maneuvers are effective against some wrestlers and the ones that are not. Sunset flips work against Psicosis, but not against Scott Hall. I would just wind up flat on the canvas with Hall sitting on my chest."
Likewise, I would not necessarily attempt an Asai moonsault against Psicosis. He is much too quick. Hall is much to sluggish--and even he cannot stop 140 pounds flying through the air."
Misterio talks about how it is possible to defeat a much larger opponent, but he's reluctant to discuss the odds of actually winning. A perfect strategy perfectly executed might result in victory, but what is the liklihood of that happening?
For instance, he could slide through Nash's legs, dropkick him from behind, use a huracanrana, go for a flying bodypress, then--boom!--Nash catches Misterio in his huge arms and powerslams or powerbombs him for the three count. And what happens when someone like Nash gets angry that someone as small as Misterio had the nerve to challenge him? He could easily send Misterio a very painful little message.
The margin of error for Misterio must be close to zero in order for himto have a prayer of success against a big man.
The big man vs. little man matchup has always been a classic in wrestling. One example is a match between diminutive former NWA champion Jim Londos and ex-heavyweight boxing champ Primo Carnera back in the 1950s. Londos was a foot shorter than Carnera, yet he was able to use his superior knowledge of leverage to negate Carnera's reach advantages.
The result? Londos gave Carnera the fight of his life.
A contemporary example is Spike Dudley in ECW. During the past six months, the 155-pounder has become quite the giant slayer. He has used high-flying moves to confuse his opponent, then deliver an acid drop when his foe least suspects it's coming.
Misterio wants to do the same in WCW. Admirable? Maybe, but Misterio seems a little too confident.
"I am not going after big men because I want to build a reputation," he said. "It just seems that it is the big guys who are trying to gain a reputation at my expense. They're not as tough as they think they are. I'll prove that."
In order to study the styles of men like Luger, Nash, and Hall, Misterio has joined forces with Konnan in several tag team matches. These bout give Rey a chance to tag out when he gets in trouble. But will Konnan be willing to stand by Rey for much longer?
"It doesn't matter. I really measure myself by singles matches," Rey said. "Yes, it is nice to gain a tag team victory, and Konnan is a great partner, but sometimes I feel like tagging out to a partner is almost like cheating. You never really learn who the better man is. Besides, I've learned that you can't trust partners. Betrayals can be very costly."
Misterio prefers to fight battles on his own. With enough training and experience against larger opponents, he thinks size will cease to be a factor. "Nash claims to be the giant of WCW, but I will teach him that it doesn't take long legs or big arms to be a giant," he said. "It is the size of your heart that counts. I think my heart is as big as anyone else's around."
The next time Misterio locks in a staredown with Kevin Nash, don't laugh. Misterio might be staring directly at the big man's navel, but rest assured that the masked Luchadore has a plan in mind. He better pray that his plan works.