Uprising: Lucha Libre Workrate Report 8/30/14

More non-Liger matches from the 5/18/14 show in Morgan Hill. I'm not sure Liger vs. Blue Demon would be any good, but it's obviously the most interesting looking thing on that card and it's odd how they keep avoiding ever showing their biggest matches, meanwhile showing stuff like battle royales.


1. Savanah Riley vs. Nicole Savoy

Rudo refs are just about the most boring way to get me immediately uninterested in a match, and this is a fed that really loves putting over their refs in matches. Sparky Ballard was working his rudo ref gimmick here, which meant the match was all about him, all the grinding a match to a halt with slow counts, all the rudo ref mugging. I guess eventually we'll get to see him get his comeuppance? But who cares? I have zero interest in seeing a non wrestler get comeuppance. What's the most that will happen, a tecnico will give him their finisher at one point? Kewl. In the meantime he just gloryhogs matches and makes them structurally impossible to be any good. Savoy had some cool stuff here, including an awesome capture suplex. Savanah predictably wins with a fast count roll up, but again I can't imagine anybody actually caring. Heel ref antics in 2014! I'm completely stunned this group doesn't have a rudo authority figure.

2. Ultimo Panda vs. JR Kratos

 Oof, awful structure to this one. Kratos took the first 7 minutes (zero offense from Panda) and then they flipped a switch and it was Panda's turn for the next 3 until he won. Awful. Kratos is a large guy with some impressive power spots. Here I especially liked his front powerslam, where he slammed Panda, then deadlifted him (and Panda is very tubby) up to do it again. He also at one point did a bear hug on Panda, a fact that was lost on the announcer. Kratos also did a cool spear in the corner after putting Panda up in a tree of woe. But again, it's 7 minutes of all Kratos tearing Panda apart, and then Panda just hits a clothesline out of nowhere and takes the rest of the match. Just awful. And Panda looked really bad doing offense. He clearly had trouble lifting Kratos for spots, and setting up a tarantula took an uncomfortably long time. Panda is way out of shape (which, I guess is pretty much in line with a panda bear) but man was it tough watching him struggle to lift himself up over Kratos off a missed corner charge. Panda did have a neat roll through on a Kratos chokeslam attempt, but even that was rough to start as Panda's conditioning made the spot take forever to set up and time. No selling to speak of throughout this match from Panda (except when he was moving much slower later in the match), and really guys taking their offense up front and getting there's in back is maybe a worse match format than your move-my move.