Lucha Azteca Workrate Report 1/25/14

These matches are from the 1/10 Arena Mexico show.

1. Negro Casas vs. Volador Jr.

Not a very good match at all. This is a match-up I would have gone crazy for last year, but Volador has changed and I'm not sure what it will take to get the old Volador back. He's limp and really no different than La Mascara now. It would be easy to blame this match on him, but Casas was not great either. Very much going through motions and out of place for tons of Volador stuff. It just wasn't good. Bad layout, lazy work, blatantly set up spots, just kind of a mess. It threatens to get good early on when Casas starts smashing Volador's leg into the barrier and kicking at his knee, but literally the next thing Volador does is a springboard. Then he did that obnoxious thing where he sells his knee whenever he's lying on the mat, but doesn't let it ever get in the way of any of his offense. Match had some alright individual moments: I'm still convinced Casas has a weird fetish about getting kicked in the face while he's slouched in the corner. A lot of Volador's superkicks whiffed but then when Casas was slumped in the corner Volador hit that one square in the jaw. Volador's regular spot of taking boots to the face off a missed moonsault is so weird. It's like the most indy version possible of Flair getting caught on the top rope. Man this was so disappointing.

2. Averno, Ephesto & Mephisto vs. Atlantis, Maximo & La Mascara

Kind of a paint-by-numbers Arena Mexico main event, although Maximo had a nice standout performance hitting a variety of cool ranas and really building to his kiss on Averno (which eventually led to Averno losing the final fall). Atlantis is really great at getting a crowd jacked, and I have no idea how his knees aren't powder after all those violent backbreakers. Mephisto had some nice right bombs that I don't remember him throwing before, Ephesto takes a big Jerry bump, Masacra wears a tiny powder blue hoodie like a teen girl going to the beach. This was fine.