On the October 7, 1999 episode of WCW Thunder, Dean Malenko faced Blitzkrieg in a crisp, technical cruiserweight match that opened the show and highlighted the contrast between Malenko’s seasoned mat-wrestling and Blitzkrieg’s explosive athleticism. Malenko quickly took control with takedowns, holds, and grounded Blitzkrieg with a combination of suplexes, gutbusters, and targeted leg work, keeping the faster Blitzkrieg in check for much of the bout. Blitzkrieg fought back with dives to the floor and aerial attempts inside the ring, but Malenko’s experience showed as he countered many of those high-risk moves. The match featured back-and-forth counters and reversals before Malenko ultimately secured the victory by forcing Blitzkrieg to submit in the Texas Cloverleaf, reinforcing his position as a dominant technical competitor on WCW’s Thunder program.
