Gunther vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE, 11/4/2022)

Gunther (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

WWE Intercontinental Title Match

WWE Friday Night SmackDown #1211

Enterprise Center – St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Taped on 10/28/2022; Aired on 11/4/2022

Watch: Peacock

Classic big man/little man dynamic. You know exactly what you’re getting with this match-up, and they more than deliver on that promise. Mysterio’s strategy early on was to stick and move, using evasiveness to his advantage. Gunther’s power proved too much, and he took control with a series of chops.

Mysterio took a few gnarly-looking bumps, getting thrown head-first to the floor and powerbombed onto the apron. Gunther was dismissive and brutal in his control segment, raking the boots across Mysterio’s face and delivering bodyslams and clotheslines with ferocity. Mysterio using his arms to block the former was a neat touch and something I can’t recall seeing before. Rey realizing his strategy wasn’t working out as well as he’d hoped, decided to switch to a sleeper hold to wear down his larger opponent.

Gunther, desperate to hang on the title, climbed the ropes with Mysterio on his back and dropped him. Gunther continued the attack by delivering a wicked neck crank. He even employed the one of the oldest heel tricks in the book: mask ripping. That only fired up Mysterio, who delivered consecutive slaps. With Gunther now weary, Mysterio returned to the air, connecting with a senton and a moonsault. I like how you could see Mysterio’s strategy shift throughout the match. It wasn’t as if he was doing the same old routine but actively adapting to his opponent. That’s one of the signs of an all-time great wrestler.

Mysterio hit a 619 and went for a Frog Splash but was quickly thwarted by Gunther. Gunther attempted a top-rope powerbomb, which Mysterio countered by hitting a hurricanrana in mid-air. The suddenness of the finish was excellent. Mysterio got booted out of the air, and Gunther pulled him up from the mat and hit a clothesline for the victory. A harsh reminder that sometimes, the underdog doesn’t win.

Great, simple television match that made good use of a time-tested formula. The classics are the classics for a reason.

Photo credit: WWE