CMLL 01/26

2016/01/26

This Match Is Why I Adore Pro-Wrestling

CMLL 2016/01/01

Cabellera vs. Cabellera: Maximo vs. Kamaitachi

Okay now, just hear me out. I think this was a perfect pro-wrestling match. Holiday spirits, New Year’s Day, big Arena Mexico crowd being 99,99% pro-Maximo, evil Japanese prick with long, trendy hair taking on the super beloved exotico, etc. Everything was there. The match was so simple, and yet it was so fucking amazing. Matter fact, I think it turned out so goddamn awesome mostly because the layout and body of work was so simple and straight-forward. They kept it real. It’s impressive, really, after witnessing Kamaitachi’s crazy berserkfests with Dragon Lee to see him work a totally different match with Maximo here. He picked a legwork as his strategy and it almost paid off. It was definitely paying off for like 90% of first two falls, the other 10% is, you guess, Maximo’s comeback.

Primera and segunda were amazing in its simplicity and I loved both finishes, especially Maximo’s to segunda where he made that amazing midair hook on Kamaitachi’s leg for extra leverage. Crazy! Tachi was excellent at dismantling Maximo’s leg, and needless to say, Maximo sold it like a true student of the game. And then in tercera they managed to go the extra mile without having to make the match too similar to Dragon Lee vs. Kamaitachi classics, because Maximo was still selling the legwork amazingly well and it made for such a marvelous pace that made the match stand out. Maximo was always reminding us his leg was in big pain, his desperate highspots were truly – desperate. Masterful selling right there, folks. Drama was high-end and the crowd totally old school and unpretentious, everyone and their mothers were rooting for Maximo, except for that Kamaitachi lady mark and two other tourists from Japan. Arena Mexico was going bananas for every little thing Maximo did on offense. In the climax both competitors faked low-blows and I loved it. The finish was great too.

I have to watch and rewatch a lot of stuff from January, but I don’t think anything will top this as my current Match of the Year.

*****

Fun Lucharesu - Day 1

NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 2016

(2016/01/17)

CMLL 01/19

CMLL 2016/01/19

Sombra and Volador - The Last Stand!

CMLL 2015/10/30

Campeonato Mundial Peso Welter Historico de NWA: Sombra vs. Volador Jr. ©

Sure, these two faced each other more than 20 times in singles competition, and sure, their matches range from two stars (or less) to four stars (and more), and sure, there’s no real novelty to this pairing anymore, but this match is maybe their last meeting ever and main event of one of the 5-6 biggest CMLL shows of the year, so all things considered – it’s a must-watch. And really, every lucha fan should check this match, because it’s really great and they went all-in for one last time, you could clearly see them going the extra mile, in both moves arsenal and passion/intensity. Even in usually short primera and segunda they were hitting each other super hard, as well as shoving each other into barricades. Tercera was epic, with the crowd rooting hard for Volador and both guys busting out devastating high-impact moves. Every spot was hit with surgical precision the way they were landing on their neck was on Misawa levels of scary, that’s some true living on a thin line right there. Excellent clash!

****1/2

Arena Puebla 12/28

CMLL 2015/12/28

Meyer, Astro, Zaeta Roja vs. Malayo, Guerrero Espacial, Mini Joker

I have never seen any of these dudes wrestle, except for Mini Joker. It was a good match, I liked how they worked a strict and heavily controlled structure instead of chaotic and overambitious botchfest. They kept it tight and the pacing was strong. Zaeta Roja and Malayo looked the best. Fun opener that got enough time to showcase its competitors’ abilities.

***

Random CMLL (Perrito, Mistico, Wagner, Santo...)

CMLL 2008/08/01

Dr. Wagner Jr., Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Hector Garza vs. Mistico, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas

Fun two-fall mayhem, but it was rather short and they didn’t even air all of it. The Arena Mexico crowd was REEEDDDD HOOOTTTT, watching all the grown-ups marking out and making funny faces like they’re kids was very amusing. Niebla/Wagner was central match-up here as they were building to a mano a mano title match, and obviously there was also the eternal Perro/Mistico beef. Lots of surly brawling and manly posing for the crowd. Mistico got his ass kicked pretty bad. Niebla and Wagner were afer each other’s masks. Fun match that needed to be longer.

***1/4

New CMLL

CMLL 2015/11/06

Astral & Electrico vs. Demus 3:16 & Pequeno Olimpico

Good minis match, but nothing more. Demus was awesome, Olimpico was serviceable, Electrico was… there, and Astral was good, but his execution still makes your brain hurt (many 50+ year olds hit those armdrags much faster). Also, Demus lost twice in a row by DCO. Didn’t care for that. Good shit that could’ve been so much better.

***1/4

Random Apuesta Shit

CMLL 1983/12/09

Mascara vs. Mascara: Egipcio vs. Rayo de Jalisco Jr.

Wow, what a superb match, such a tremendous “discovery” I checked the moment I saw it uploaded on YouTube. Lucha really is loaded with hidden gems, including big apuesta matches with famous stars. This was magnificent and followed your classic big match formula that always works, with three acts of rudo domination, tecnico comeback and tercera restart with big moves and drama. Egipcio was an awesome bruiser in first two falls, giving some really hard time to Rayo Jr., and the latter sold it perfectly, he was making those torture screams and noises, it was scary good and compelling. Third fall was pure perfection and what really launched this match into the stratosphere. Marvelous high-end shit with a plethora of mesmerizing workrate pieces, big moves, dramatic pin attempts and Arena Mexico going crazy. Incredible match.

*****

Don’t You Dare Stare, You Better Move

CMLL 2013/11/22

Rush vs. Negro Casas

This might be the very best under-10 minute match of all time. I’ve never seen this one before, hell, I didn’t even know it existed until accidentally stumbling upon it on YouTube. And bah gawd, it’s all about Rush and 4:40 going HAM at each other in a highly violent and gruesome fashion, holy shit was this scuffle glorious or what? Negro violently charges at Rush early on, realizing it’s one of those “kill or be killed” situations where he mustn’t leave any room for his bitter enemy to breathe, show no mercy because this is a dirty war. But Rush is just way too young and strong for Negro, which means he managed to outpower him, so when he gained control he unleashed a truly rough and barbaric beating on poor Negro. What followed was one of my favorite brawling bits I have ever seen, true story, with Rush just using the 50+ year old as his own personal punchbag, and Negro selling everything like he got hit by a fucking speeding bus. It was borderline uncomfortable. But it was fantastic. This match is a “pure” pro-wrestling brawl, it was short, but they still managed to convey a relatively traditional mini-closing stretch, with dramatic counters and all. Stupendously superb tussle, such a must-see clash that really puts things into perspective when it comes to the wonderful Rush/Casas feud.

*****

Pirata/Faraon

CMLL 1990/11/16

Cabellera vs. Cabellera: Pirata Morgan vs. Faraon

Totally legendary hair match, and rightfully so, because it really is fucking amazing, to the point I’m putting it right behind Casas/Bestia on an imaginary Top Apuesta Matches of the 90s list. Like, this match would be 2A and Casas/Fiera would be 2B. Yes, this match is that fucking great. And unlike most of the seen apuesta matches of that era(s), this one was worked in a hectic workrate style, as opposed to Satanico’s, Santo’s, Casas’ and Estrada’s minimalism. Pirata and Faraon basically worked the best possible workrate industrial, full of hard slams, selective flying and unbelievably awesome punches. Everything was paced perfectly, so the spots and flow were super catchy and easy to remember. I don’t recall another match where ringposts were used in a deadly manner like in this one, it was so fucking brutal and barbaric. Every time they shoved each other’s heads into it, you could feel the end approaching. Both warriors bled a lot, with Pirata bleeding much more. Everything about this match is perfect, especially the insanely dramatic closing stretch that had the crowd going wild. I loved the doctor stoppage ending, it was nice to see refs not being the ones calling a TKO for once.

Timeless classic.

*****

Emilio/Atlantis

CMLL 57 Aniversario

 (1990/09/21)

Campeonato Mundial Peso Medio de NWA: Emilio Charles Jr. vs. Atlantis ©

Emilio and Atlantis had quite a rivalry back then, but I never watched any of it. I don’t even think more than two mano a manos exist on the almighty internet. Obviously this is one of them. There’s a whole bunch of trios, though, and I should hop on those soon (I hope). This match was good, really good considering the time it got. There’s a clear cut story here – Emilio can barely keep up with the crazy fast and too spirited Atlantis, hence Emilio getting annoyed and embarrassed, but he still manages to take primera by cutting off Atlanits, which gives him enough confidence to do a big dive in segunda, but that was about it, because he lost that fall, and then again the SUPER short tercera via Atlantida. I can totally see some people getting upset with Atlantis beating other luchadors so quickly in decisive falls via Atlantida, but it really puts over the move as a killshot weapon, and that dividend is paying off to this day. That’s how you protect and invest time in your character. Very good match.

***3/4