Lucha Azteca Workrate Report 8/2/14

These matches were from the 7/18 Arena Mexico show.

1. Stuka Jr., Atlantis & Dragon Rojo Jr. vs. Rey Escorpion, Ultimo Guerrero & Polvora

Fun match with an asskicking performance from Escorpion and nice contributions for the others. Escorpion went after Rojo right from the beginning and didn't let up the whole match. He was really punching Rojo in the dome, as Escorpion can do, and didn't let up so that it looked like they would eventually work a hair vs. mask match. Even between falls Escorpion would follow him to the floor and club him. Stuka always breaks out impressive stuff. I love his torpedo splash, and he throws a nice flip dive. He also manned up for a beating here, taking a big back bump to the floor off a baseball slide. Nothing revolutionary happened here, but it was all fun while it lasted. Seriously wonder if they're setting up an Escorpion/Rojo feud though.

2. Negro Casas & Shocker vs. Rush & La Sombra for the CMLL Tag Titles

I was not a fan of their tag title match a few weeks before this, but this I liked. I thought that match lacked intensity and drama. Seeing this match shows everything that previous match lacked. These four were at each other's throats the whole match, and both teams actually felt like teams. A key part of what made this match so great was the team work. Not the double teams, but each person saving their partner at key moments throughout the whole match. Saves are a great way to build drama and cut down on silly kickouts, and I loved all the saves in this. Sombra has really come into his own under his rudo persona. It added an edge his character needed and just didn't have as a faceless flier. Now he's a smug shrugging prick who gets bailed out by his even tougher buddy and opportunistically dishes out violence of his own. His running knees to Shocker were brutal, but he has no problem giving back (watch him fly ass over elbow over the barrier off a clothesline). Shocker breaks out his fat guy tope, and some other cool stuff like his abdominal stretch slam (which sends Sombra right onto his head). Casas looked on fire too, having some fun scrambly matwork with Sombra, locking in one of the snuggest STFs onto Rush that you'll ever see, kicking Sombra's chest in while he's tangled in the ropes. This match builds off stuff from their previous tag match, and I especially loved Casas setting Rush up for the Thesz press and Sombra saving him out of nowhere by clotheslining Casas right in the shins. Awesome, heated match.