2014 Ongoing Match of the Year List

19. Rey Hechicero/Black Terry v. Negro Navarro/Trauma 2 Chilanga Mask 10/25

ER: Boy if that doesn't look like a dream combo on paper, right? And thankfully it still looks like a dream match up after watching it. Match goes 22 minutes, and literally the first 8 is Navarro/Hechicero matwork. Both guys work some cool reverse figure four spots, really wrenching each other's legs. At one point Hechicero is leaning hard on Navarro's leg and in a sort of optical illusion Navarro's leg looks like it's bending due to leverage. Then Trauma 2 and Terry get in there and do even nastier stuff, with Trauma breaking out some cool rolling grapevine leg locks and Terry breaking out more cool figure 4 variations, and Trauma puts over the matwork better than anybody in this. Then the violence ramps up and we have an "I hit you, you hit me" section that would put any NJ main event to shame, with all 4 getting involved and beating each other with some of the hardest shots I've seen. BattlArts has a school in Canada now and for a moment it felt like they were expanding south of the border. Terry looked incredible here, throwing mean shots, a great kneelift to Trauma's head and some big time headbutts. Crowd is crazy hot for Hechicero in this and I like how it plays into the finish, with him showing off and Navarro snapping on a submission.

PAS: I really liked all of the leglock work between Hechicero and Navarro in the opening section, it felt a little like a Imanari MMA fight with both guys trying to find a way to pick an ankle without giving up their leg for a counter. I liked the Terry v. Trauma stuff a ton as well, although it was more of an appetizer to the main dish of Hechicero v. Navarro. We only get a tiny bit of Navarro v. Terry although it was an awesome violent straight right by Navarro which I think split Terry's lip, I really wish we had one of their singles matches on tape. Loved the the finish too, with Navarro doing a slick gator roll into a guillotine choke, shows how Navarro can do nasty matwork in addition to beautiful matwork.


2014 MASTER LIST