2014 Ongoing Match of the Year List

37. Virus v. Dragon Lee CMLL 9/2

PAS: The year of lightning match continues, after blowing up in En Busca De Idolo it is really cool to see Dragon Lee get a chance to mix it up with a master. He was surprisingly nifty on the mat, looking way less carried during the mat stuff then other Virus singles opponents. We also had some pretty cool high spots, including a great looking flip tope. Liked the nasty low blow finish from Virus, and I hope that cheap shot sets up a title match. I think if these guys got 20 minutes it could take MOTY

ER: I love the very beginning of Virus singles matches, as the CMLL entrance ramp girls have to do their blank eye swaying to his weird horror movie score. There's something off-putting about 4 women swaying in time to the sounds of women screaming, odd demon grunts and pipe organ. And there's Virus, just walking through the middle of all of it on his way to the ring. It's like something out of a Coffin Joe movie. The match itself was really fun and both guys complement each other nicely. As Phil mentioned it didn't feel like Lee was being carried on the mat. Admittedly part of the enjoyment for me in matwork from guys like Virus, Arkangel, Panther, etc. is seeing them tear up youngsters on the mat, usually with sequences where it seems like said youngster is in no control of the situation whatsoever. But Lee brings it here, and I loved the crucifix he maneuvered Virus into. Both guys take turns hitting mean dropkicks into the others' face, Virus has a really awesome low shoulder tackle and Lee takes it in a cool high sprawling bump. The match got more time than a lot of lightning matches (10 minutes as compared to the normal 6-7) and it really benefitted from that as it felt like a complete, satisfying match instead of an offense showcase like they often are. This did really seem like an excellent teaser for a full future 3 fall match. I'm not saying this felt like a small piece of a larger match, as this match works great as a standalone match, but it was easy to see the match being stretched to a long singles, with added falls and added drama.


2014 MASTER LIST