#6 Rob Van Dam vs. Tajiri – RAW, 2001
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Tucked away on an episode of Monday Night RAW, right in the middle of the Invasion period, was this terrific WWF Hardcore Championship match between RVD and Tajiri. While nobody could claim that it was the most important match of the night, what it did provide is entertainment, along with a showcase for the varying and exciting wrestling styles that can be found in some of the smaller guys.
As expected for a match in the Hardcore division, it was contested under No-DQ rules and exploded into life instantly, charging along at a relentless pace before abruptly ending at under 5 minutes in length. Incredibly, given the severe lack of time that RVD and Tajiri had to work with, they put on an absolutely electric display, the type of match that the modern-day stars of 205 Live should be aiming to emulate whenever they step between the ropes.
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It was absolute Cruiserweight mastery, with much Lucha Libre style wrestling along with the Japanese strong style brought to the bout by Tajiri. Solid kicks were exchanged, steel chairs were used by both, but when it came down to it, RVD managed to prove his superiority and retain his Hardcore Championship after pinning the “Japanese Buzzsaw”, following a chair-assisted 5 Star Frogsplash.
In an era where high-quality in-ring action was far more of a rarity than it is today, Van Dam and Tajiri managed to show the world in under 5 minutes just how far ahead of their time they truly were. Even today, it’s unlikely that many of WWE’s Cruiserweights could put on a match of this energy and excellence.
