2015 Ongoing Match of the Year List

2. Negro Navarro/Trauma 1/Trauma 2 v. Ultimo Guerrero/Magnifico/Rey Hechicero CaraLucha 1/31

PAS: Awesome match, probably the best Dinanista Navarro trios since the Terry/Cerebro series. Ultimo Guerrero continues to be a revelation in these Maestro style matches, the opening section has Guerrero and T2 just tearing it up on the mat, violent looking and explosive some of the better lucha submission stuff I have seen in recent years. The brief exchanges between Navarro and Hechicero were as great as ever and Magnifico was fine in his fill in role. Still this was focused on Trauma 2 v. Ultimo, that was a match I had never thought about before, but it is high on my dream match scale now, finish run had those two getting a little violent with each other and it was pretty boss. First BTJR. gem of 2015.

ER: Damn, Ultimo Guerrero right!? I've not been as down on career UG as Phil, historically. When I got into lucha in the late 90s (first match I saw was some Virus vs. Oriental singles match when we first got cable TV and discovered we had Galavision) and UG was one of the guys I really loved. Then as I watched more lucha and time went by his mid 2000s style eventually became the style of lucha I avoided. Guys like Cien Caras that I used to hate when I began watching lucha were now the guys I actively looked forward to. I just grew apart from his style. But over the last couple years I've started appreciating what he brings again, now that I didn't have to see him in any blown up singles epics and just saw him in trios, bumping big and controlling action. But I don't think any fan of UG's could have predicted the few standout performances he's thrown out over the last calendar year. He's been so good in these matches that it almost makes you hate him for not ALWAYS looking this way. Now naturally it just lends more credence to the thinking that fine luchadors don't begin until 40, and these kind of performances are certainly getting me excited for age 50 UG. I liked Trauma playing the role of shit stirrer here, always running in and breaking up pins in dickish ways, slapping Hechicero in the head or kicking a guy in the back. Loved the Hechicero/Navarro segments and loved all of Navarro's quirky leg drags, felt like something I'd see in World of Sport. I wish they paced the falls more evenly as the last two were much quicker but the work in all of them was good.


2015 MASTER LIST