Sean O’ Haire vs. Mike Rapada WCW Worldwide 09-09-2000
In about 2004 or 2005 I started getting into Ring of Honor and joined the forums. At the time, I didn't really have a lot of let's say, social activity and I think I filled a lot of that void with wrestling. It was some random fateful day I saw someone post that a couple fans were doing an AIM Chatroom called ROHWrestling and I had nothing to do so I randomly logged in and talked to people for a little bit. And then the next day. and again. and again until one day I had internet friends. Only a handful of us from the original chatroom remain, but we've added and lost some people along the way and gone through all the technology. Xbox Live, Skype, Discord, That thing where you could invite people to a room and DJ and the joke was to play the most depressing song , etc. We've settled on a Facebook messenger group chat until I decide its time to do a watch along of MTV True Life I have a Summer Share in the metaverse. WHERES MY FRIGGING CHEESEBALLS ZUCKERBEG. Like any friend group, over the years we've also developed inside jokes and references and concepts. Which is what leads to me this match and the concept of, "your boys"
"One of your Boys"
Definition: One of those wrestlers who seemingly only you love. Usually someone random or for odd reasoning.
This match features two of my all time b-b-boys
Sean O' Haire shouldn't surprise anyone who's read this blog. He's a big guy who does flips and looks like a badass. Plus he's got spiked hair, and at that time I was such an advocate of anyone who resembled me in anyway, even if it was because they used hairgel. My god my hair was greasy. I know people will chalk up his WWF run to him being inexperienced and not good, but I've seen worse guys get more chances than Sean. He is sort of the modern day Tom McGee, a jacked up dude who can do athletic stuff he shouldn't be able to do ,but didn't live up to world champion potential.
"The Colorado Kid" Mike Rapada is a surprising pick. It's even more surprising when I admit to you, this is the only match I've ever actually seen him wrestle. When I was a kid I would go to the grocery store with my mom with the caveat that I could quietly go and read wrestling magazines until she was done . The dream. My mother has never been know for her agility at a store, and so I had plenty of time to kill and so I devoured magazine after magazine. I usually got a magazine to bring home to me and I wasn't done reading them , because for about two years I would grab two magazines and bring them to the dinner table and read while I eat. I don't know how to change a tire, but I do remember the article about Bill Alfonso bringing in Mike Lozansky to keep RVD and Sabu on the same page. After reading so many articles I developed a fascination and a fandom of guys I've never seen, including The Colorado Kid. I have no idea why, maybe because his name had Kid in it and I was a kid? But I didn't give a fuck about Indiana Kidd Jr or his feud with 'Dangerous" Bull Don Basher ( didn't need to look that up). So I have no idea. All I know is Colorado Kid became a character in my fig fed, a occasional opponent in my fake wrestling career ( played by my childhood bear Lucas) and a name that's stuck with me for over two decades. I'm pretty sure I only saw one picture ever in a magazine and yet decided this guy ruled .Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants.
Here we are, the ultimate battle between two of my boys. This is a combination of two things I love, like if Jason Statham and Jet Li made a movie in 2007 where they fight each other. This is going to rule.
Not exactly. This is just like War, The movie from 2007 where Jason Statham and Jet Li fight each other in that it's disappointing. It's not bad, it's good actually but for some reason I expected more and a lot of that is on my Rapada related disappointment. Sean O' Haire is a beast in this match. He throws a cool spin kick and then A STANDING FRONT FLIP OFF THE TOP ROPE. That's just ridiculous. A superkick from O'Haire leads to a pin but Rapada kicks out and then begins to mount a comeback against O'Haire. This is where it loses me because while I am not against wimpys getting in offense, there is a fine line where I think it's too much and this crosses it. O'Haire hits a nasty clothesline to stop Rapada followed by a sitting hip toss and then his awesome finisher The Seanton Bomb off the top. Here's a straight up fact, if you are a wrestler and you can work your name into your finisher...you're automatically 7% percent better.
This is a good match, but not what I wanted and maybe I'm being unfair. Too much offense from Rapada who did anything special and while I think watching Sean O' Haire at his apex is worth your time, it doesn't make the master list
TLDR Review
Sean O Haire Rules. Mike Rapada isn't as good as I hoped. Indiana Kidd Jr can still fuck off.
If you're interested in more condensed version of my thoughts, You can check out my Twitter where I talk about wrestling or stress out during Boston Celtics games. Hell, I'll even take suggestions for matches you want to see reviewed. You can also check out my Youtube where I make weird videos where I put on wigs in front of a camera to mask my true identity.