On the July 13, 1998 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, Rey Mysterio Jr. squared off with Dean Malenko in a highly competitive cruiserweight matchup built around the ongoing Cruiserweight Title situation involving Chris Jericho. The bout was booked as a number-one contender’s match after Jericho had forced Mysterio to relinquish the title on a technicality following interference in their previous encounter, and Jericho then manipulated circumstances so the winner of Mysterio vs. Malenko would earn a future title shot. The match itself was a standout of quick counters, mat grappling, and aerial offense — Malenko controlled stretches early with precise holds and strikes while Mysterio used speed, arm drags, and a plancha to the outside to shift momentum. Both men exchanged near-falls and high-impact counters, including powerbombs and tilt-a-whirl backbreakers, before Chris Jericho interfered late, striking Malenko with the Cruiserweight Championship belt and allowing Mysterio to pick up the pinfall and become the number-one contender. The encounter combined solid in-ring work with advancing the broader Jericho/Mysterio/Malenko storyline in WCW’s cruiserweight division.
