by Patty Therre

This week, we have time to do our nails, get our hair done, wash our cars and finally do that yoga tape we promised we would do on December 31 when making New Year's resolutions. This week, there will be no new Nitro or Thunder. Instead, we will see recap shows, a walk down memory lane.

Many of the women fans on my site (www.wrestlingonthefringe.com) tell me they have no intention of watching the shows because seeing WCW at its best is even sadder than seeing it as it has become as of late.

"It would be like seeing my elderly and frail grandfather when he was a young, handsome man. It would break my heart," Mary Elle, one of the many avid WCW fans who frequents my website, wrote.

One reason we will be watching (we can do our nails at the same time) is to see the luchadors once again. The luchadors and other high flyers were what set WCW apart from the other guys. They were the ultimate crowd thriller. We loved to watch Rey Mysterio Jr. and Juventud Guerrera fly through the air. We watch the special eight-man lucha tag teams in awe. We never knew which was the legal man, or even IF there was a legal man, but the action was non-stop and the excitement was at a fevered pitch.

What happened to the good old days of the luchador and the lucha style wrestling?

It isn't gone, just toned down. A lot.

Rey Mysterio Jr. is about to begin actively wrestling again and there is no better flyer than Rey Rey. He can make the impossible look graceful and easy to do. But to be truly great, he will need an equal partner in the ring. Let's not overlook Juventud Guerrera, who has also been on the sidelines for quite sometime with an injury. When he stops imitating other wrestlers from other federations and gets back in the ring, I hope to see some of the lucha style wrestling that I, and so many others, came to love.

The masks may be off but both men still have the ability to thrill us. Psychosis is another high-flyer who could be thrown in the mix and, further down the list, El Dandy, La Parka and Silver King can get the job done.

What we know that WCW doesn't seem to understand is that these men don't need silly ring names, "Americanized" ring gear or fabulous promos. They need a ring and an opponent. If you really want a great match, put six or eight of the high flyers in the ring at once. Their work rate speaks volumes.

It isn't just the Latinos who have the innate ability to fly. Lately, Shannon Moore and Shane Helms have started to do some extraordinary things in, and out, of the ring. These two, along with Evan Karagias, could be the new breed of "American Luchador."

Let's not forget Kidman. He has been flying for years and his Shooting Star Press is amazing. Recently a trio named the Jung Dragons emerged, hailing from Japan, flying all over the place. Dream matches are starting to form in my mind.

WCW has been grounded too long. We appreciate powerbombs and piledrivers. We enjoy a fireman's carry and a sidewalk slam. But now and then, we want to see a move that defies even the announcers' definition. We want to hear, "Oh WHATTAMOVE!!"

The luchadors were a big part of WCW for a few years and were gaining a huge fan base when it was decided that they needed to demask to make it further in the company. Juventud Guerrera was unmasked after losing a mask match and, in my humble opinion, never wrestled as well as he did with the mask on. Rey Jr. followed suit and, held down by his pants slipping around his hipbones, and the over-sized jerseys that he wore, seemed to lose his edge. Psychosis was the most recent to lose the mask. If I had my way, they would have all stayed masked and mighty.

Still, as I said, these men posses the same ability without their masks as they did while shrouded by them and we want to see more in ring lucha style action. How about pitting Rey Mysterio Jr. and Juventud Guerrera against Shannon Moore and Shane Helms? It would be different and isn't different a good thing?

Until next time, remember – How you ever gonna know if you never take the chance?