Lucha Azteca Workrate Report 5/10/14

These matches all took place at the 4/25 Arena Mexico show.

Mistico, Titan & Volador Jr. vs. Puma, Dragon Rojo Jr. & Polvora

Wow, this match actually felt like it got a lot of time, with each fall getting plenty of time to stretch things out…but it doesn't really add up to much of anything. The guys that usually look good, looked good. But there was no real cohesion to anything being done. No real consequences to anything, and the dynamic shifts in team control were erratic and messy. It was worked more like an every-man-for-himself scramble match, with some guys rushing to get their shit in and it just ending eventually. Individually, Mistico looked real good, hitting some beautiful ranas and dives, and also taking a monster bump over the barrier into the crowd. Between Mistico II, Dragon Lee II and Rush, I'd be hard-pressed thinking of another family making more of an impression in wrestling right now. Dragon Rojo is a guy I have a hard time pinning down, as sometimes he's an excellent base (here making all of Titan's stuff look great) but then does really obnoxious stuff like catch a big flip dive, and then sit right up to adjust his mask and run his fingers through his hair, making sure it's tossed back over his shoulders the right way, before going back to selling the dive. Puma has been a favorite of SC this year, and he looks good here when allowed to, but most of the time he's matched with Volador who is one of the more selfish tecnicos. Puma has to settle for playing handshake matador with him, only really getting to shine later in the match when paired briefly with Mistico. I like the opening mat scramble with Titan and Rojo. It wasn't like Panther or Arkangel matwork, it was more flippy and showy, but it worked for them. So yeah, disappointing overall given the long time, with a couple nice moments.




Rush, La Mascara & La Sombra vs. Negro Casas, Shocker & Mr. Niebla

Yeah buddy, this is what I'm talking about. I'll admit to not fully understanding the reasoning behind the rudo/tecnico designations in these match-ups. Rush's team is the tecnico side, but spends zero seconds working as tecnicos; Casas' side is billed as the rudos but they all get jumped the moment they pop their heads out of the entranceway and milk the crowd for sympathy the rest of the way. So I will admit my ignorance as to how all of this is being booked, mainly because I love all the ring work and personalities involved. Maybe there is a cultural reason why these young sculpted tecnicos are acting like dickheads, maybe there's another reason why the old and/or chubby rudos are so good at drawing sympathy. Maybe it was just an error by the graphics team, and they billed one side as rudos and one side as tecnicos. Look, I don't know. I won't claim to understand it, but I'll continue to enjoy Rush stomping and head butting his way through Arena Mexico. La Sombra doesn't really move my needle much as a tecnico, but I'm really digging his rudo side. He's a perfect complement to Rush, with both men attacking Casas and Shocker on the ramps and Sombra acting as a kind of weasely Rush lackey the whole match, always running to save him by kicking Rush or Shocker in the back (seriously, always attacking from behind like a total dick). Sombra and Mascara both hold Shocker by the arms and Rush gets to do all the great puffed-chest tough guy "hold him for me, boys!" mannerisms while kicking and thrust headbutting Shocker. All the "tecnicos" also do their off balance stomps to all the "rudos", with them gleefully stomping with both feet and falling all over, not caring. Rush has his great stomps in the corner, Sombra now has his brutal running double knees. Casas is one of my favorite rudos of all time, but matches like this always remind me he's one of my favorite tecnicos of all time as well. His comebacks and triumphs are always great and no one really connects with Arena Mexico in that way like he does. Shocker and Niebla soak it up as well, with Niebla slapping everybody in sight, Shocker looking dashing in his new crewcut, and the crowd just loving to get behind the "old" guys. Really good match, fun continuation of the feud.