WCW Region, Lexington Subregion, First Round: (10) Rob Van Dam vs. (23) Pat O'Connor

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round match in the WCW Region, Lexington Subregion. It is a standard one on one match. It will be held at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

#10. Rob Van Dam

Vs.

#23. Pat O'Connor

​

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.

 

[Brewski]

Pat O'Connor was an NWA champion for two years before losing the title to Buddy Rodgers that set a record for largest crowed for a pro wrestling event. He went on later to have a lackluster AWA run.

Rob Van Dam is my favorite all time under performing star. He's known as an ECW legend but he never held the belt in the original ECW. His biggest achievement is winning the WWE title from John Cena in the Hammerstein Ballroom and having a short and uneventful reign as champ. He's a 1 time TNA champ and had a pretty lengthy run but has since fallen off again. He's one of my favorite ring workers, incredibly athletic, has amazing agility, and is a great acrobat. Best of all at 6'1" 230lbs he's big enough to wrestle with the big men. He's and allright talker but it's such a shame to me that a man so physically gifted just can't stay at the top.

Van Dam wins here based on ability and notoriety. He should be more accomplished but he's not. He'll advance this round but I don't know how far further he could go.

 

[deem]

It saddens me that there isn't more debate in this thread. Of course it's down to the lack of knowledge about guys like Pat O'Connor, which is fair enough. I'd advise people to watch a match of his at least - this tournament is SO good as an excuse to educate yourself about old school wrestling. I'm not being patronising here, obviously I didn't know much either about these guys until I started researching for matches like this. I really enjoy it though and as we are all wrestling marks I'd expect you to, too If you are interested in watching an O'Connor match, this is pretty much perfect as it's him at the pinnacle of his career, in a good quality upload, in possibly the biggest match he ever had. Oh, and it's really great

[youtube]lTDizsQRLmQ[/youtube]

Pat O'Connor ********ing aside, I think I'm taking RVD here. I was a huge mark for him as a child. Having watched a lot of RVD matches his offence becomes kinda predictable - imagine in kayfabe how it would appear to O'Connor though lol. I can't for a second think that he's witnessed anything close to this before.

RVD's peak is undoubtedly getting the WWE title. I'm fairly furious he screwed it up for getting publicly busted in possession, as we will never really know how much faith McMahon had in him. He certainly had a few main event feuds in his tenure in WWE (elimination chambers, main evented a PPV with HHH (Vengeance I think?)), was booked stronger than anyone not named Booker T in the Invasion.

I don't think RVD will go far in this tournament either. His reputation exceeds his performances in the industry. Ofc if he gets through next round he reaches the gimmick stages, where with a few good draws he could go further in the competition. Unfortunately for him, it's Warrior in a singles match next. GG RVD.

 

[Papa Pillman]

Both men held two seperate world championships at the same time. Both men had a roughly 2 year run with a major singles title to their credit. Both are similar in overall size. That is about where the similarities end.

Unfortunately for O'Connor, a lot of his career took place in the pre or early days of tv. Fortunatley for RVD he is a modern competitor and has been in the spotlight during a heavily followed time in the industry and also gets a boost for beating John Cena for the WWE title.

Over the course of the last 15 years or so RVD has won almost every major title everywhere he has been with one of the better Win/Loss records of top guys in that timeframe, and at one time or another he has beat just about every other high profile guy in his era.

RVD gets the win here mostly because he has wrestled guys like Kurt Angle for example who can match O'Connor's technical prowess and amatuer background, while O'Connor definitely never saw anything like RVD's style and may have had a hard time figuring out that puzzle.

 

[Tastycles]

Rob Van Dam is going to win this, but should he? Pat O'Connor was a well respected wrestler that held his title with dignity, having waited a long time to get it. RVD was over massively at one point, and eventually got his chance at the top. He utterly squandered it, and ended up as a footnote. For the fact that O'Connor was able to achieve more because he didn't throw it away, I'm going with him.

 

[PsychoBlack]

First of all before we start I need to get high with RVD its on my bucket list. Now this could be a pretty good match but RVD wins this one. O'connor never saw anyone like RVD in his prime. RVD's offense would prove to be entirely to much for O'connor's old timers style

 

[The Brain]

I'll take RVD. Is that what you were expecting? I don't know a lot about Pat O'connor. I watched the match that was posted above. Certainly not enough to judege the man's career but let's be honest, I'm not going out of my way and putting a lot of time in to vote on this match. O'connor lost the match above to a very minor move after doing some armbars and armdrags. I think RVD's style would be a little much for O'connor. I'm sure O'connor was much better than I'm giving him credit for. Doesn't matter. RVD is more interesting in this tournament so he moves on.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I give the edge to RVD because of his versatility, he's taken on and beaten Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, Big Show and Randy Orton. Pat O'Connor's era simply didn't have that amount of diversity. Missing a drop kick results in you losing your title? Missing a 5 Star Frogsplash doesn't result in RVD losing!