MLJ: 2010: Mistico Interlude 1: Brazo de Plata, La Máscara, Místico vs Atlantis, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero

Taped 2010-01-06 @ Arena Coliseo
Brazo de Plata, La Máscara, Místico vs Atlantis, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero

5:50 in.

Part 2: http://youtu.be/jsWbWKiB4tE

Part 3: http://youtu.be/u017Ahyg8RU

Part 4: http://youtu.be/5OIx4E6Piz8

Full disclosure: I probably didn't have to go back this far for Mistico. This match set up a singles with Rey Bucanero in Guadalajara and has nothing to do with his turn. It's not even a good match to see the signs for such a thing, because as I've learned with the Rush vs Casas series, things that happen outside of Arena Mexico often times work on a different level or slightly tangential way. If Mistico was starting to show rudo tendencies in Arena Mexico, there's no reason to think he was necessarily doing it here as well.

So why am I watching this? Mainly because I spent a lot of time with Los Guerreros del Atlantida earlier this year and the idea to check in with what I see as a pretty prime roster of theirs, a few years later, was too good to pass up. Even that's a little silly because I have a match with them from March, 2010 upcoming in the Garza-watch, but this one led to a singles with Rey Bucanero and Mistico and that was something I was curious to see. As always, bear with me.

In general, I'm kind of amazed Atlantis was still a rudo. He was one all the awy into the middle of 2011 too. I just can't see how the act could still have steam. Rey rejoined them in 2008, which is sort of just depressing when you think about it. There was a sort of populist bandit feel to them in 2006, but I don't see any of that in 2010. That said, they were still great professionals who really knew their way around a trios match. This was enjoyably competent for something so disposable (which sounds like faint praise, but like I've said before, I can watch matches like this all day).

Rey was especially impressive in his heeling. This was to set up a singles match, of course, so a lot of the build was in Rey keeping away from Mistico. They started early on with Rey looking like he was going to enter the match to face off with Mascara, but rushing across the ring to cheapshot Mistico on the apron instead, before ducking back out. Later in the primera, when it looked like they'd actually face off, the rudos used it as a chance to charge the ring and start the beat down and take the fall. They didn't really face off until the tercera, and even then, while Mistico got the advantage, it was still a tease for the eventual singles match, and a fairly well done one at that.

Past that, the rest of the luchadors involved pretty much held up their part. UG worked well with Porky to start the match, giving him a ton like a total pro and getting to slam him later on. Atlantis led Mascara around the ring, and to his credit, Mascara was getting some chants and looked good in the primera, though he was far more hit or miss in the tercera, where he got to do some more showy stuff. Mistico was pure tecnico and the crowd was into him.

The match was a basic B-A-C, with the tecnicos having the advantage in the tercera after the reset but getting cutoff before their dives to keep things moving. The transition in the segunda was clever and the sort of thing that GdI pull off very well. They had done a little rope running spot where UG dropped down and Rey and Atlantis flipped Mascara into this crazy facebuster. Then they teased it on Porky, but he just splatted onto the dropped down UG as Mistico and Mascara flew in with arm drags. Clever spot and great use of Porky. All in all a fun match which could have used just a little more payoff but it accomplished what it set out to do by not having it.