MLJ: Sombra Spotlight 5: Sombra vs Felino 2

2010-02-19 @ Arena México
La Sombra DQ Felino [lightning]

Quick shout out first. Mark had me on The Winter Palace talking about Nick Bockwinkel, a subject I feel fairly strongly about (and then other random and sundry geek topics). No one needs to listen to me necessarily but everyone should listen for the other guest, Scott Bowden talking about him in Memphis. Scott knows as much about Memphis history as anyone and lived through Bockwinkel's sojourns down south. It's not a long podcast relatively. People should check that part out, at least.

Back on point. People should check out this match, too. This was just about everything you'd want from a lightning match like this. I'm sure by now people know that spots aren't the thing that moves me the most in this world, but I'm more welcoming when it comes to lightning matches and this was a blast. They couldn't even reshow moves here because by going split screen, they were missing what was happening next.

I like this Felino a lot. He was at a center point between the shtick that would come to dominate his work and the athleticism that had been his calling card for the previous decade plus. The combination of the two really seemed to work. Here he had Puma (King) with him, both coming out shrouded so Sombra didn't know who to attack. He'd also come out at the finish which we'll get to later.

This was a good mix of story and character and spots. I think there was something like five dives, some of them pretty spectacular. There was mask ripping and untying by both luchadores. There was Sombra going to a particular well over and over again and paying for it huge. He kept wanting to put Felino up on the top rope and do something with him. Felino kept reversing it and hitting a bit move, be it a super bomb or just a really beautiful elbow drop off the top.

That led into the finish too, as he went for it again, bounding up only to get pushed back into Splash Mountain position. Here though he turned it into an really nice mid-air 'rana. That was a triumphant moment and felt like a finish, which is why Puma ran out to stop a pin. In the distraction, Felino went for a foul, Sombra blocked it, hit the mask pull and a roll up. Puma rushed in for the DQ.

If people want a look at what Sombra could pull off as a high-octane tecnico at this point in his development, when he was still occasionally unshaky but had come a long way (and if anyone wants to make a case for Felino's longlevity of talent), this is a great, quick match to check out. I probably have too heightened expectations for the apuestas match now.